Dangan-Pinguino
by LooseGazpacho
Summary: Chiaki Nanami enters Hope's Peak Academy for the first time! Everything seems fine until things start to get...out of control.
1. The Smiling Sunshine

Hope's Peak Academy. The crown jewel of the country, where the most talented people end up. The building stood out proudly in the city, yet surrounding skyscrapers completely towered above it. Large emblem of the school, which contained a monochrome shield along with a pen and some kind of shape on it, was placed high on the building. The institution was guarded by the iron fence, which prevented any hooligans from doing shenanigans. Surrounded by many trees, the building was place d in the center of the city.

A mauve haired girl, wearing a green cardigan, pink backpack and leggings, stood in front of the entrance, being more focused on what she was holding in her hands: a pink handheld console. Noises came out of it, indicating that she was playing a game. For a moment, she took a look at the academy, staring at its size.

"So this is it….Hope's Peak Academy….I think." she thought to herself, feeling butterflies in her stomach. Slowly building up some courage, the girl stepped towards the entrance, opening the doors. She entered through the door, stepping inside the well lit hallway. The floor had the checkered pattern like chess as the ceiling was held by marble pillars. Every step she took echoed through the hall. The girl held the straps of the backpack tightly as she explored the hall, looking at the brown, wooden doors that led to classrooms.

"Class 77-B. Where is it?" she asked to herself, continuing the search for her class, but to no avail as every class was labeled anything other than her desired destination. There was no sight of anyone in the near distance either.

Suddenly, she saw a brown spiky haired boy with a rather peculiar streak standing on his head, standing near the door of one of the classrooms. The boy was wearing a green tie over the simple white shirt along with black jeans. Despite the fact he could enter the classroom at any time, he just stood in front of it, looking nervously at the floor. The girl tilted her head in curiosity and approached the anxious boy.

"Hey hey." greeted the girl with a soothing voice, much to the surprise of the boy.

"Hello." said the boy as he faced towards the girl, hiding the nervousness from before.

"Excuse me. Is this where Class 77-B is?" asked the lass, glancing over the sign that displayed the aforementioned number.

"Yeah, it is." answered the boy.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself….I think. My name is Chiaki Nanami. What's yours?" she said as she pointed at herself, placing her hand on the chest.

"My name is Hajime Hinata. To be here, in Hope's Peak Academy, is a huge honor for me." introduced the boy towards the Chiaki, having a rather sheepish smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you. I hope we will get along well." smiled Chiaki at him, somehow calming him down for a bit. Despite that, she still noticed that Hajime was not in the best of the moods.

"Hey….is there something wrong?" wondered Chiaki, stepping closer to Hajime.

"Ah, it's nothing! Absolutely nothing!" blushingly replied Hajime, trying to pretend everything is okay.

"There must be something that's bothering you….I think." asserted Chiaki as she gave a serious look on him. He realized that he couldn't hide it anymore.

"Well...it's something that I have always wanted to be apart of. Hope's Peak Academy is a place where dreams come true. But...I just...can't actually believe I made it here. It's kinda difficult to enter the classroom….I don't know what will they expect. What will they think of such an ordinary person like me?" nervously explained Hajime, but at the same time he felt sort of relief telling his thoughts to someone.

"Ah, it's okay. I understand. To be honest, it's kinda scary for me too." reassured Chiaki as she looked him in the eyes. Her own eyes seemed to have a little gleam on them, giving Hajime some kind of aura of relaxation. "Maybe...we should go inside together? It's gonna be much easier for us….I think."

"Uh, sure?" approved Hajime with some uncertainty in his voice. Then Chiaki grabbed the door handle and ensured a tight grip on it.

"On three." alerted Chiaki as both of them got their heads closer to each other. Chiaki and Hajime started to slowly count to the desired number. Once the count has reached three, she slowly opened the door, revealing the classroom.

The classroom had multiple amounts of brown wooden tables with chairs behind them, all facing towards the desk, which was reinforced by the fences on both of the sides. Behind the desk there was a large blackboard, yet nothing was written on it. Floor itself had some kind of a pattern in the shape of a rhombus on them with multiple colors. Although the classroom had multiple lights on the ceiling, the main source of luminosity were the wide windows, supported with red curtains. When Chiaki and Hajime entered it, they soon realized that they were not alone as they saw six people already in the class. One purple haired boy with a hat was sitting behind one of the tables, supporting his head with his arm as he stared at the blackboard with a bored expression on his face. The mood of his quickly shifted when he saw Chiaki and Hajime stepping inside the class.

"Hey, come over here!" invited the purple haired boy, waving at them. The duo accepted his invitation and walked up to him. When they arrived, Chiaki did a small but quick wave with her hand at him. "You are the new guys, right? Then please, tell me your names!"

"I am Hajime..." he told the purple haired dude, who seemed to become increasingly excited.

"...and my name is Chiaki." she greeted as well.

"Cool! My name is Kazuichi Soda and I'm the Ultimate Mechanic!" the purple haired dude introduced himself, pumping his fists in the air. "Do you have like….a talent too?"

"Yep, I'm the Ultimate Gamer and I'm the fan of all genres, even the bad ones." answered Chiaki, showing her console to Hajime and Kazuichi.

"And I'm...the Ultimate….it's a secret. Can't really tell anyone about it." fretted Hajime, trying to hide his true feelings about it.

"It's alright, man. I just hope we get along together well." reassured Kazuichi, giving Hajime a big sense of relief. "Also, if you have any problems with machines, call me! There's no feeling same as fixing that beauty up!"

"Oh, what kind of machines do you mean?" piqued Chiaki while trying to think of any specific machine by herself.

"Any! Appliance or vehicle, I'll fix it for you!" cheered Kazuichi as he pumped his fists again.

"Well, you ain't Ultimate Mechanic for nothing." commented Hajime.

"Heh, thank you." said Chiaki. A little smile dawned upon her face.

"No prob! Hope you two have a good day!" cheered Kazuichi as the ahoge boy and mauve haired lass went further on to meet more of their classmates.

"He seems like a good fellow at heart. Maybe one day he will build something really cool!" thought Chiaki to herself while walking along with Hajime. It didn't take them long to find another individual, this time they encountered a red headed girl with freckles on her face, holding a camera in her arms.

"Hello there!" greeted the red haired girl the moment she saw them walking nearby. "I am Mahiru Koizumi and I'm the Ultimate Photographer."

Suddenly, she lifted up the camera and pointed it at them, putting her finger on the trigger button.

"Smile!" she ordered to them as they did what she told them to do, placing themselves in a comfortable position. The moment she pushed the button, a snapping sound came from the camera. Once the whole process was finished, Mahiru took a look at the photo from the monitor which was placed on the back of the camera. The placements of Chiaki and Hajime gave the photo some kind of vertical composition while the lighting from the windows gave it some kind of glossy yet relaxing feeling to the photograph.

"Tadaaa! What do you think?" requested Mahiru as she showed them the photo itself.

"I think it's great!" complimented Chiaki as she observed the photo.

"Yeah, you're really good at it." added Hajime along with Chiaki.

"Why, thank you." blushed Mahiru as her smile widened across her face. "Any kind of photo is a memory that may as well exist in that period. I think that should be cherished well."

They seemed to have good time meeting each other before Chiaki and Hajime decided to meet other students as well.

"Hey, wait a minute." urged Mahiru towards the ahoge boy, to which he stopped going forward. Chiaki, following him, stopped as well. "You're Hajime, right?"

"Yes? What's up?" wondered Hajime.

"Be a real gentleman to her, okay!?" scolded Mahiru, completely changing her mood as she put her arms around her hips.

"U-uh, okay?" stuttered Hajime, surprised at her sudden change. "Gee, what was that for?"

"Don't worry, Mahiru. I believe he will be." reassured Chiaki as she stepped in front of the Hajime, putting her hand on her chest.

"A lot of faith put into me, despite only meeting minutes ago, huh." thought Hajime to himself, blushing from Chiaki's words.

"Alright then. If you say so, I'll believe you then." said Mahiru, returning to the relaxed mood she had earlier.

"She's really cool, but I think she should trust in people a bit more...I think. I wonder why she wouldn't trust Hajime." thought Chiaki to herself while she was, along with Hajime, prepared to meet another student, possibly their new friend.

Suddenly, a multicolor haired lass with oni horns on her head peeked from one of the desks. She made a gesture with her hands like she was holding binoculars. Pretending to patrol the classroom, the horned gal locked her sight on unknowing Chiaki.

"Cutie spotted!" the lass shouted as she jumped on the desk and started hopping on other tables like a frog, rapidly approaching them. She ceased her motions right in front of them, standing proud on the closest table.

"Say it with me! I, I go to the streets! B, bought a new book! U, you go with me! K, kay you say! I, do the refrain! That's how you get IBUUKIII MIODA!" Ibuki….sang in her own way while rocking that air guitar like a real one.

"...What?" asked Hajime after witnessing her...performance. Meanwhile, Chiaki sheepishly but sincerely clapped for her, despite the fact she was also confused.

"Thank you, thank you!" bowed Ibuki, making some greatly exaggerated gestures. "An applause of the cheerful audience is a wonderful reward for the musical greats such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri, Billy Joel and of course, Ibuki Mioda!

"Shut the hell up with your sugar rushes, okay?!" suddenly a short girl in an orange kimono with twin tails turned back and hissed, just after trying to squish a fly on the window with her own fingers. "Can't you see I'm busy here?!"

"I need no sugar, cause I'm always on energy!" said Ibuki, unaffected by the girl's statements. Hajime and Chiaki looked at the hissy fit personified, with former having a confused stance while the latter frowned.

"What'cha staring at me? Go bugger off already!" fumed the lass at them.

"Hey now, Hiyoko. Calm down, they're not gonna hurt you. They're just here to meet us." said Mahiru, attempting to cheer Hiyoko up.

"Yeah, not a good move on your behalf." scolded Hajime.

"And we were just trying to meet Ibuki." added Chiaki.

"It's been like the third time you yelled at me this morning, but it's okay! I yelled when I woke up as well!" chattered Ibuki, making everyone in the near distance further confused.

"Fine, fine, but only because you said so. But don't expect cuddles and cheers, unless you're stupid enough to do that." grumbled Hiyoko Saoiji. In response, Chiaki remained silent but she looked at the floor.

"Alright-a-mundo!" said Ibuki as she, for some reason, crawled back to her desk. The speed of her crawling on the floor managed to surprise everyone in the room.

"Did she...really have to do that?" asked Hajime after witnessing her action before going to meet the remaining students in the class along with Chiaki.

"Ibuki seems like a really cheery person!...I think. I can't wait to spend more time with her. Hiyoko though…..I will try my hardest, but she's gonna be a tough one...I'm not stupid to believe in people, right?" thought Chiaki to herself just as she ventured forth, seeking new classmates. It did not take long as suddenly, a blonde tall girl in a green and white dress with a crown on her head stood in front of them.

"Halt!" she commanded, stunning them as they stopped like she said so. "You are late to the class!"

"What the….? As far as I know, it's only 7.37." pointed out Hajime as he pointed on the clock.

"My apologies." said the charmingly dressed girl, bowing towards them as she attempted to meet them like an ordinary Japanese person. "Oh goodness me, I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess! I am not quite used to the schedule and rules here, since I am from Novoselic. The rule is that in Novoselic, you must be thirteen minutes earlier than the agreed time. If not, then you are severely punished."

"Princess? Just like those noble royals who await for their love in games?" asked Chiaki, being reminded of one her platformers she used to play a lot. She seemed to get a little excited.

"Erm...not to be rude, but aren't you….overqualified for this school?" questioned Hajime.

"Well to first question, yes and no. While I do live a castle just like ones in games and fairy tales, I hold a huge responsibility governing my nation. Do not worry, my family is handling the reign as well. To the second question, I thought as well, but they seemed to accept me without any issues! It was my dream to come here, I admire Japan since I was child. In fact, Novoselic wishes to get us closer than even before!" answered Sonia before she started to ramble as two of them listened.

"Oh boy, we're having THAT kind of person in our class. Just please don't tell me you also like _anime_..." grumbled Hiyoko as she faced backwards, looking at Sonia with contempt.

"Indeed I do! It's quite popular in my country and one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Japan as well!" confirmed Sonia with pure cheer in her voice.

"….Why must this place have the freakiest of all freaks.." quietly complained Hiyoko as she started to frequently slam her head on the desk. Mahiru tried to stop her from doing such an action.

"Well...nothing is really wrong with watching it. Everyone should do things they enjoy without being shamed on." affirmed Chiaki to counter Hiyoko's words.

"It's okay. Sonia, there's nothing to worry about. I just hope that it would be comfortable enough that you could express whatever you'll want." assured Hajime as he, along with Chiaki, welcomed Sonia for who she was.

"FUCK YEAH!" yelled Sonia as she pumped her fists up in the air. Not only did her words startle Chiaki and Hajime, it made the entire class turn towards her as they stared in bewilderment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I know as a princess I shouldn't talk like this, but…."

"No, it's fine. Just that…..not exactly something expected, that's all." explained Hajime to her, trying to cheer her up.

"Oh! Oh well, there is no problem! I hope you have a nice day!" smiled Sonia as she waved at them, letting them continue their day normally.

"Man, I can't believe a princess like her dropped a bomb like this!" thought Ibuki to herself, being intrigued and yet excited at the thought.

Chiaki noticed one of the students standing in the corner alone, leaning towards the window as he stared at the wall. He was covered in all black with a mark of the lighting sticking out of his pale face. A long purple scarf covered his face along with bandages covering his hands. The menacing aura radiated from his stature.

"Hey, Hajime. Someone's alone there. We should greet him...I think." declared Chiaki as she started approaching the mysterious student.

"You sure? He doesn't look like he wants to be bothered." asked Hajime just to be sure about.

"We can't just leave him to be alone. Everyone needs a chance." elaborated Chiaki. Hajime didn't really have anything to argue about so they stepped forward to him. The mysterious student

"Stand back! If you step forward once more, you shall be cursed for eternity!" warned the enigmatic student as he clutched with his arm.

"Erm...we do not mean to hurt you. We're just here…..to meet you." said Chiaki, starting to get a little confused by the student's manners. Hajime started to feel like this whole meeting attempt might lead to somewhere unusual.

"Hurt me? Fuwahahahaha! As if you can! Against the Supreme Overlord, no mortal can strike me, if they manage to not run away in fear after witnessing me. If you haven't come here for a battle, do you perhaps seek to submit under my rule? If not, then justify your presence here!" boasted the enigmatic student as he shook his fist.

"We're just here….to make friends. To create new memories….I think" she tried to explain to him.

"I think, you say. Hah! You are not even sure about your motive! Mine is simple and clear: take over the world AND THEN HELL ITSELF!" further boasted the student, which only made the situation even more confusing.

"Alright, Supreme Overlord of Boastfulness. Just tell us your name." demanded Hajime with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"For who I am, you wish to know. But name is forbidden to say out loud. Anyone who hears it shall never know peace. So….are you willing enough to risk eternal suffering?!" cautioned the bombastic student.

"Yes, yes, just tell us already." groaned Hajime as he nearly put his hand on his face.

"Fine then, you mortals asked for it. Do not blame me for the consequences. For I am The Supreme Overlord, **GUNDHAM TANAKA**, the world shall tremble in front of me! An new era of darkness shall engulf the Netherworld with terror!" he shouted as his name echoed through out the classroom.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Ibuki also yelled, possibly in fear or the fact she thought it was a screaming competition.

"Y-you don't mean...you're gonna engulf the world in the darkness, right? The good always defeats the evil...right?" stuttered Chiaki as she actually felt chills down her spine.

"C'mon, Chiaki, You know that's not possible."

"Kehehehe….it appears I have instilled fear already. Deluding yourself with a chance of victory is fruitless, since I lead an army of DEMONS!" chuckled Gundham as he crossed his arms.

"...Demons?" asked Chiaki, ever so slightly trembling. Hajime assured her that things are gonna be alright.

"Demons!" chirped Sonia, curious to see the aforementioned beings.

"Humanity's curiosity is never going to be quenched, so I shall show my demons in advance. Be careful, if you value your life." said Gundham, waiting for any response from them. There was no clear answer, so Gundham Tanaka decided he will show them his demons.

"_GO FORTH, DARK DEVAS OF DESTRUCTION!"_

Suddenly, four hamsters of different sizes appeared as they jumped on Gundham, showing their visage towards his students. He confidently posed as he let out a laugh full of malevolence.

"….THOSE are your demons? They're just..." said Hajime in the state of bafflement.

"They're rather fluffy." commented Chiaki as she tried to observe them up close.

"And cute!" praised Sonia as her eyes shined.

"Do not be fooled by their appearance! They have just taken the form they find comfortable!, just like it was told in the Pandemonium" warned Gundham while his hamster comfortable sat on him.

"Alright….I hope you have a nice day." said Chiaki before she and Hajime went to their desks.

"We shall meet again! Fuwahahaha!" devilishly laughed Gundham Tanaka with his arms crossed again.

"Gundham….why does he talk like a villain? I don't believe he actually means it...I think." Chiaki thought to herself before she sat down behind her desk. "I'll just get my game and see if anyone else comes to this classroom. I hope I can make a good impression on them….I think I didn't do it well this time."

She sat quietly as she started playing a shoot em up game on her console, being completely absorbed in it. Mahiru and Hiyoko were chatting about something while Ibuki was bobbing her head for no particular reason. Gundham remained in his corner, now observing the classroom like an eagle. Others just sat quietly as well, waiting for others to arrive as the time passed.

Suddenly, a noise resembling squealing when braking was heard from the halls. Everyone looked at the door as they were startled.

"W-what the? Is someone driving a car in the halls?" stuttered Kazuichi when he heard the noise.

The noise stopped, but the doors to the classroom were opened fiercely to the point they nearly hit the walls, revealing a tall tanned girl with athletic physique along with a massive muscular man behind her. They both chuckled as they entered the classroom.

"Nope, just me!" cheered the tall lass as she stepped further in the classroom.

"Well done, Akane! You did one hundred laps around school without breaking a sweat! Now that's real spirit!" praised the buff man as he went along with her.

"Thanks, Nekomaru!"responded Akane, winking at him and then placing her hand behind her head.

"O-one hundred laps? Ain't that too much?" asked Kazuichi.

"There is no such thing as too much for us! We are gonna overcome any obstacle with ease!" boasted Nekomaru as he pumped his fists, to which Akane joined as well. Chiaki glanced over them with a certain curiosity before continuing playing her game.

After Akane and Nekomaru sat down behind their desks, the class went quiet until two new people appeared in front of the entrance. A rather sharply dressed blond lad along with a tall silver haired girl with glasses silently stepped in. Chiaki noticed them, stood up and tried to approach them.

"Do not come any closer." warned the silver haired girl, making Chiaki completely halt before she could say anything. "Fuyuhiko is not in the best mood right now. I would advise to ask later."

"Damn right." added Fuyuhiko, clenching his fist as he had a scowl on his face.

"Oh….I see. I'm sorry." lamented Chiaki before stepping back to her desk. The lady with glasses saw her and felt a little bit of guilt when she saw her pitifully returning to her desk.

"Fuyuhiko, would have been a good idea to at least greet her properly?" asked the lady with glasses.

"...Fine, you are free to do if you wish, no need to ask. However, don't let her pry too much, okay?" reluctantly allowed Fuyuhiko as he quietly sighed. She stepped towards Chiaki just before the little lass (compared to her) could sit down and return to playing her games.

"Hello there. You seemed to be curious to know us." introduced the lady towards her. Chiaki's mood changed as she looked up to the lady, towering in front of her. "I apologize for what happened. It was just an instinct of mine."

"It's okay! I just didn't want to bother, but…..I just...want to...make wonderful memories with everyone!" avowed Chiaki to her rather enthusiastically.

"Heh, your optimism is admirable yet quaint. Anyway, my name is Peko Pekoyama and I am the Ultimate Swordswoman." said the lady with glasses as she crossed her arms adamantly.

"Sword? You actually have it? May I….see it?" requested Chiaki, tilting her head.

"Sure." answered Peko, drawing her bamboo sword and held it in front of her as she observed her weapon. Chiaki, out of an assumption that she was not allowed, didn't want to touch it.

"That's so cool!" praised Chiaki while getting her eyes locked on the sword. "Are you...like a knight that slays the darkness and saves the innocents?"

"Don't be silly...I cannot tell you much about the reason of usage." mumbled Peko as she returned her sword back in her bag. Fuyuhiko glanced over to check that no important information was spilled. By the time they were about to sit behind their desks, Ibuki appeared out of a sudden.

"Shit! Another fucking person to pry us!" thought Fuyuhiko to himself while wincing.

"Holyheckthat'ssuchaprettyladyIforgottoputinspaces!" fantasizes Ibuki to herself, looking more at Peko.

They had a little chat about mundane things and games until suddenly, the doors opened, revealing a long haired but perpetually anxious gal. The girl tripped and started rolling inside the classroom until she hit the fence in front of the large desk.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" she yelled as she felt utter pain in her back. Most of the class with exception of Hiyoko rushed towards her right away.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Hajime while everyone near her tried to help. Chiaki even got closer and tried to lift her up.

"I-I-I j-just s-slipped and...ah! P-please don't look at me!" whimpered the lass while trying to cover her face.

"Is everything alright?" asked Chiaki as she picked up the girl from the floor.

"J-Just in the back." stuttered the girl as she held a grip on Chiaki's shoulders, staring her in the eyes.

"Don't worry. We will patch you up as quick as we can." declared Chiaki, lifting her up with rather relative ease. Suddenly, the girl that she was holding like a little weight started to tear up, then combusted into tears. The classmates silently watched the whole scene unfold in shock.

"Hey hey. It's gonna be okay. I promise." reassured Chiaki to the weeping girl, cradling her as an attempt to make her more relaxed.

"N-n-no one has been so kind to me." wept the girl in her arms, to which Chiaki responded with a tighter hug and further reassurance.

"...What happened to her?" wondered Hajime after seeing the entire debacle with the girl.

"Bah! This is just nothing than a poorly made self-pity play!" cursed Hiyoko out of sudden annoyance, pointing at the girl in Chiaki's arms. That warranted a glare from Hajime.

"Oh, forgot to ask. What is your name?" she asked as she took the girl to the nearest table.

"M-Mikan Tsumiki." the girl introduced herself with meekness oozing from her voice.

"Mikan Tsumiki...I will be your friend." avowed Chiaki to her.

"H-huh?! R-really?" stammered Mikan out of complete surprise. Chiaki smiled, to which made Mikan's day much brighter. Meanwhile, Ibuki Mioda was foaming as she collapsed on the floor.

"Ibuki! Are you alright?" asked Mahiru, running over her to check her. Hearing her concerns, Ibuki immediately stood up as if someone erected a statue in miliseconds.

"IBUKI IS BLESSED!" she bursted, hopping in one place like a bunny. Mahiru and others could only stare at her in confusion, with some accepting that and others don't.

Some time has passed after the encounter with Mikan, nothing eventful actually happening. Oh, some chef also stepped in the class but moving on. The class was about to start with everyone being prepared for it, but then, on exactly fifty-nine point nine seconds before 7:50 AM, the doors opened once again, revealing a white haired fellow. The pale lad wore a dark green zipper coat along with black jeans.

"Good morning, everyone." he said with a smile on his face. Some of the class waved at him while others ignored him. "I hope I wasn't too late for the class..."

"What are you talking about? You arrived almost exactly on time! How...did you manage to do it? Who are you?" questioned Hajime while looking at the lad. Chiaki glanced over to him as well, curious to who he was talking to.

"Ah, someone noticed me! It must have been the doing of my luck." avowed the white haired lad as he stepped closer to him, his smile getting wider. "I am Nagito Komaeda, the Ultimate Lucky Student."

Both of them greeted each other, yet Hajime took small amount of caution doing anything near him, unsure what to expect of him. Nagito seemed to get closer to him with each move he did.

"The day I was waiting for my entire life has finally happened. All these talents here, in one place….it's amazing! I did not expect that utter trash like me..." said Nagito as he stared at his palm, yet still regaining his smile.

"Hey, don't degrade yourself. Pretty sure you have a lot of potential inside of you." called out Hajime out of a sudden, pointing at him rather frustratingly.

"Hajime is right. Everyone has an ability to do wonder, no matter what they are." added Chiaki, joining in as well.

"Oh...praised by not only one but two talents at once….Thank you so much! I hope you two have a great day." cheered Nagito before going off to his own table.

"No problem. As long as I can make at least someone's day brighter, I'm more than glad." said Chiaki, smiling as well.

"Well...about that…." thought Hajime, secretly doubting himself after hearing the ramblings of Nagito.

Time went past 7:50, the class was about to start. Everyone waited patiently for their teacher to arrive. Gundham was still standing in the corner, observing his fellow students like a hawk.

After one minute, the doors opened again, revealing a middle aged long haired woman dressed in a white apron along with blue skirt suit.

"Goooooooood morning, class!" she said with a peppy smile so wide that it would make the Sun look like a black hole. The class greeted her back, although some people like Fuyuhiko and Gundham remained quiet for their own reasons. The woman who seemed like their teacher hopped towards her own desk before taking a look at her students.

"I shall be your teacher, but let me introduce myself! I am Chisa Yukizome. Now, are you ready for...the greatest adventure you'll have here?!" she cheered, motivating her class for the upcoming years as she raised her arm up in the air.

"YAHOO! I AM READY!" screamed Ibuki as she started jumping in excitement.

"OH YEAH! UNPREPAREDNESS AND NEKOMARU NIDAAARAAAI DO NOT MIX!" yelled Nekomaru as he pumped his fists along with Akane following him.

Others remained silent. Some didn't know what to do, others out of lack of interest.

"Naaaah. It's gonna be so booooring." huffed Hiyoko, laying her head on the desk and then blowing a raspberry.

"C'mon! Don't be so pessimistic. I guarantee there'll be lots of fun, right?" rebutted Chisa in a playful way before winking to them.

"Fuwahahaha! You say that life shall be filled with joy and pleasure, but would you utter still the same words when the Judgement Day of Pandemonium comes?" boastfully asked Gundham Tanaka.

"What the actual hell are you blabbering about?" denounced Fuyuhiko in response to his question.

"Of course I am! I fear no emergency and even if it happens, I'll make sure that emergency fears us!" boasted Chisa as she pulled out a bunch of papers, first aid kid and even swiss army knives out of her pockets.

"Now THAT….is a good line. You seem to live up to your word, but you'll have to fulfill it!" complimented Gundham Tanaka as he chuckled.

"Excuse me, Miss Yukizome, but it was supposed to be sixteen students here, right?" asked Sonia Nevermind after taking a small observation of the class. "I might not be too familiar with the system yet, but I remember this."

"Yeah, you totally forgot about the most sensual one." said Teruteru Hanamura, that...chef.

"Ooooh, right! Was planning to do it just now! In a minute, guys!" responded Chisa before rushing off to the doors in a blinding speed.

"I bet it's gonna take hours." smirked Hiyoko after Chisa left.

"What if she actually does it in a minute?" asked Ibuki with seriousness in her tone.

"Oh, shut up." Hiyoko shut her off, but Ibuki didn't seem to mind her attitude.

Exactly one minute passed away and Chisa was already back to the class, holding a large and stout lad in her arms. The person seemed to be dressed like a normal student, but rosy cheeks on his face stood out. Students seemed to be amazed by her prowess and speed, especially Hiyoko, whose jaw dropped at the sight of a seemingly non muscular gal holding a rather large person with seeming ease. Ibuki Mioda's eyes sparkled as she entered the state of bliss. Chiaki started staring at her as if she was gazing at the stars.

"Gotcha!" yelled Ibuki as she rocked her air guitar for a brief moment.

"That's bullshit! You only got lucky!" complained Hiyoko before she pouted begrudgingly.

"Now, now, Ryouta. You can't just miss out meeting up your classmates." scolded Chisa, but didn't seem to be too upset about it.

"So uh….Hi. I'm Ryouta Mitarai and I...make anime. That's all there needs to be known." he introduced himself, to which he received few hand waves.

"Any questions before our day starts?" asked Chisa one more time before their class was about to officially start.

"Yo, when did you get so fit?" said Akane, being rather stunned from before. She kept looking at her appearance, wondering how Chisa could accomplish such a feat.

"Ehehehe…..secret!" blushed Chisa, putting hands on her cheeks in the process.

"Can you lift me after class?" enthusiastically requested Ibuki as she waved her hand up.

"Sure!" responded Chisa, smiling like before. No one else had the questions reserved or her after Ibuki's request.

"Let our school life begin!" she proclaimed, pointing at her class to which some of them pumped their fists as well. Chiaki kept staring at her with interest, yet speechless.

And so their day has begun.

Meanwhile outside of school, everything seemed calm and quiet. Suddenly, three people of vastly different shapes, one lanky, extravagantly dressed dude with spiky hair and a black lightning tattoo on his face, one girl in a tank top with multi colored (pink and white) twin tails and microphone in her hair and one large, incredibly stout man wearing a fedora and an olive gray suit, back flipped over the fence with relative ease. They landed on their feet before leaving the crouching position to stand up and see the building of Hope's Peak Academy.

"Boys, we're here!" announced the girl with a microphone in her hair, putting her arms around her hips.

"So...this is that Hope's Peak Academy that everyone was so gushing about, eh? Gahahahahaha! Looks like a cathedral to me, not a proper school!" cackled the spiky haired dude out loud.

"It is rather surprising to see a building that resembles the Gothic architecture here, but many universities are, indeed, rather old, so it wouldn't not be exactly the most productive to mock such style." expressed the large man after hearing his fellow's comment.

"Figottoni…It's nice to hear that, but come on! We are the future, so we have to push forward! I still think this crust barn needs some RENOVATION!" replied the lanky dude as he shrugged.

"Zapatta, don't do crazy shit here, aight?" warned the girl, grabbing his shoulder.

"Yes, yes, Suifta, I get it. No goof ups! But…..WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM WHO'S THE BOSS!" boasted Zapatta as he sprinted to the doors before stopping to stand in front of them, preparing his position. Suddenly, he kicked the doors with his left leg with incredible power, but the doors didn't even bulge.

"Aiiiieeee...damn. Was expecting the doors to be a lil bit less tight." he said after his way of thought got stuck in hidden embarrassment.

"You know, you could have just…." grumbled Suifta as she walked up to him and opened the doors by herself. "...opened them?"

"It's not the same if its mundane." countered Zapatta, which made Suifta's eyes roll and sigh.

"I would advise you not to be rash. We are in the new territory, after all." said Figottoni, to which Zapatta listened with only one ear. They fully opened the doors as they were about to enter the academy. It did not take long until….

"SUUUUCKAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Zapatta as he pointed forward, only, at time unknown to him, there was a person standing right in front of him. The person was rather tall, wore a fancy black suit with a tie and even wore glasses.

"...What?" scowled the fancy person, glaring at them directly in their eyes as he crossed his arms like a furious manager.

"Ah shit, here we go again." groaned Suifta, which she covered her face with her palm. Figottoni just remained silent.

"Well…erm...you see...GET OUTTA MY WAY!" he tried to fend him off, only for him to (figuratively) shoot himself in his foot more.

"How about you remove yourself from my sight instead?" retorted the fancy person back at him, much to Zapatta's surprise.

"You fool! Don't you know who are you talking to?!" huffed Zapatta while doing rather bizarre poses while talking.

"I am _not_ interested, thank you." the person shot him down with such a response.

"I AM ZAPATTA, THE ULTIMATE, FUNKY FRESH, SPECIAL DELICACY, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ROCKSTAR AND I AM GONNA ROCK THE FUCK OUT OF THIS SCHOOL!" he angry boasted while shaking his fists towards him.

"And I'm Byakuya Togami. Didn't you hear what I've just said? Now go away, you're just wasting my time." said the person for the last time. Zapatta was about to attack him, but the grab from Figottoni stopped him.

"Do not continue battles where your every outcome is a predictable loss." he advised, calming down Zapatta.

"Do not mind us that much, so….bai bai." babbled Suifta before she pulled Zapatta out of Togami's sight. Figottoni followed her as well. Byakuya just glanced at them with a scowl before going his way.

"Zapatta….Zapatta…."sighed Suifta, looking Zapatta in his eyes with grumpiness. "What the hell, man?"

"Well, to my defense, I didn't know he was there!" argued Zapatta or at least attempted to.

"That's why I said you shouldn't be rash. Such incident could make us feel grave consequences." reckoned Figottoni, looking at both of them below.

"Yes, yes….now it's lunch time, right?" asked Zapatta as he switched the topics and was feeling rather hungry.

"Ye, I suppose so." answered Suifta before all of them picked themselves up and were ready to arrive at the dining room.

"You two can go for a snack. I have no desire to eat at the moment." said Figottoni.

"Figottoni, you just ate a single can of beans today….in the midnight!" perplexed Zapatta while reminding him to eat something.

"That is more than satisfactory for me." calmly explained Figottoni as they got closer to the dining hall.

"Alright then..." admitted Zapatta, not trying to further argue as they continued their path.

Later that day, the break started. Students of class 77-B arrived near the dining room, waiting to obtain their food. Chiaki, while playing her game, walked along Hajime to their destination. Had he not opened the doors for her, she could have almost bumped into them. Turns out that class 77-B was not the only visitor of the dining hall. The dining room was split into four table, on one table they were a rather small boy with a very noticeable ahoge; an even brown haired smaller person wearing a skirt, who was behind a laptop; a blue haired lass dressed like a normal Japanese student; a tanned lass who was stuffing her mouth with donuts and she was accompanied by a rather enormous, very muscular white haired lass gently drinking a protein shake. On the other table there were a buff dude with a crazy hairstyle along with a smaller lad, who seemed to be dressed like a hall monitor; some jock-ish skinny dude with a goatee and a guy who basically had a bush on his head. On another table there were a rather elegantly dressed but vampiric looking madame, who was sipping her tea while the rather round fellow with glasses delivered her tea if she desired. Away from her, a small purple haired girl was sitting, biting her nails. Only one who has already been in the kitchen that was not sitting was a long lavender-colored haired gal, who was just standing in the corner, away from nearly everyone.

Chiaki looked away from the game to see where to sit, only for her attention to turn towards the person behind a laptop. She walked up to that person, looking behind to see what kind of deed was done on the laptop, tilting her head out of curiosity. The little person behind a laptop meekly looked behind and got spooked, flinching in the process.

"A-ah! I d-didn't know you were there!" stammered the person while starting to visibly trembling in front of her eyes. "I'm sorry….I should have been more observant..."

"Hey hey. It's okay...I should have told you in the first place." reassured Chiaki, lowering herself so she could see that person from eye to eye. "I want to know what are you doing."

"Oh, really? Then….hehe..." the person suddenly lost the anxiety, smiling in a similar way Chisa did. "I should introduce myself first...I am Chihiro Fujisaki and I am a programmer. Ultimate one, they say, but….I...doubt that I deserve such a high title."

Chihiro moved away a little to show her the program in question. The program itself consisted of heavy amount of brackets and combinations of letters and symbols, some in different colors even.

"H-here it is…." stuttered Chihiro, letting her see. Chiaki leaned closer to the monitor, seeing all kind of code in the program.

"That's so cool! I have one question though..." said Chiaki, slowly starting to heavily breathe.

"Y-yes?" squeaked Chihiro.

"Do you...make games as well?" asked Chiaki, puffing out of excitement as she got very close to Chihiro. Face of Chihiro got completely red.

"W-well….my current research is not exactly related to gaming...but I could try one day." meekly answered Chihiro, worrying that the response would disappoint her.

"Heh. If it wasn't for programmers like you, games could not exist. You have my respect." praised Chiaki as she bowed down to Chihiro.

"O-oh...I guess….thank you." chirped Chihiro, smiling again. They continued to discuss topics of their interest as Chiaki sat next to him. Meanwhile, Hajime was standing up next to the boy with the ahoge, just like he had one himself.

"Mind if I join?" asked Hajime, pointing at the table.

"Oh, sure! No problem at all." approved the boy as he stood up, offering him a chair.

"You didn't really need to do that." commented Hajime, but deep down he appreciated the deed. "You can sit down."

Yet the boy still insisted, to which Hajime followed his offer and sat on the chair. "My name is Makoto Naegi and unlike anyone else here...I'm nothing special really."

"Y-you too?" stuttered Hajime in surprise.

"Yeah?" blurted Makoto out of surprise as well, his ahoge reacting to it too.

"Well...it's kind of relieving that I'm not the only one." thought Hajime to himself, seeing a possible connection with him.

"My my, you two are almost like brothers." commented the blue haired girl at them, giggling at the same time. Her comments made both of them flustered, but Hajime was a more reserved with it.

"Hehehe, just joking!" clarified the girl, who turned out to be Sayaka Maizono. After a moment, both of them chuckled in response. Among them, the tanned girl by the name of Aoi Asahina shared donuts with Akane by throwing them so the latter could catch them midair. Mahiru, Ibuki, Mikan, Hiyoko and Nekomaru joined in as well, chatting about various topics of interests. Most of the boys went to the table with Mondo, Kiyotaka, Leon and Yasuhiro with exception of Gundham, who just picked up seeds and went outside, Nagito, who followed Hajime and Fuyuhiko, who, along with Peko, went to sit somewhere undisturbed. Ryouta Mitarai also reserved a chair for himself alone. The gothic Celeste Ludenberg remained undisturbed up until Sonia joined her and they had a little tea time. Everyone seemed to have a great time (not Toko, she was just fending away people), until…

"YAAAA BOOOOOOY!"

Suddenly, the doors of the dining room were opened with a swift yet crude kick, which almost managed to destroy them in the process. It was none other than Zapatta, the Ultimate Rockstar, condescendingly pointing at them like they're tiny ants to him. Behind him, Suifta followed him with her having a look only the most disappointed individual could have. The entrance of the rockstar startled everyone but Kyoko, with Mikan even reflexively hiding below the table. Even Ibuki was very spooked!

"YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT! IT AGAINST THE RULES OF SCHOOL!" shouted Kiyotaka Ishimaru at him, telling him to cease as he proudly stood up.

"Nuh-uh, I am the head honcho now!" proclaimed Zapatta as he snatched the yet to be bitten hamburger from Yasuhiro Hagakure's hands with the blitzing speed before taking a big chomp of the burger.

"THAT IS ALSO AGAINST THE REGULATIONS! CEASE NOW!" further argued Kiyotaka, completely outrageous by the actions of Zapatta.

"The fuck, dude?! You can't just fuckin' do that!" joined in Mondo as well, standing up to Kiyotaka while raising his fists.

"Hey! Learn your manners, boy!" also complained Mahiru, putting her arms on her hips. Most of the other students looked at him with disdain as well.

"That's just...wrong." said Chiaki in a serious tone.

"Oh, you ganging up on me? Too bad! It won't change anything! Ahahahaha! As if you punks have a chance against me!" boasted Zapatta, cackling like a helium induced hyena. By the time that was going on, Yasuhiro bit nothing and then turned around to see what was happening.

"You know, that was a very nice taste of thin air!" he complimented as he laughed. The boys around the table gave him a confused look.

"Ohohoho, here comes the best part!" thought Zapatta to himself, waiting to see what will be Yasuhiro's response.

"Hey, you have a pretty nice burger right there!" complimented Yasuhiro, seemingly unaware what just happened.

"Indeed I do!" gauded Zapatta, still eating the burger with his shark like teeth.

"Uh….aren't you supposed to be..you know...a little bit more upset since..." reminded Hajime while observing the whole situation.

"Say….where did get such a burger?" asked Yasuhiro, still somehow unaware what happened.

"Oh, I could tell!" taunted Zapatta, waving the hamburger near his face. Other classmates started to get more confused rather than to feel disdain.

"Come to think of it….I just had a burger before…." thought Yasuhiro out loud, which made Zapatta even more anticipated for his response so he could taunt him in his face. "...and it disappeared in front of my face…..this means only one thing!"

"YES YES YES YES! LET ME SEE YOUR FACE AS I LAUGH!" cheered Zapatta inside his thoughts, almost sweating from anticipation and excitement.

"..."

"...ALIENS!"

"…What?" _everyone_ said, including Zapatta, who couldn't believe the whole ordeal. The dining room was only followed by the awkward silence.

"No, you gotta believe me! It happened once, I saw it with my own eyes! I can't believe they're at it again!" Yasuhiro tried to convince everyone, but to no avail.

"I stole your burger." just flat out admitted Zapatta while being completely baffled by the bush haired individual.

"Lies! You're just trying to cover up their actions! You couldn't have just swooped my burger so quickly!" rebutted Yasuhiro as he trembled, pointing at Zapatta as if he was a convict of a conspiracy.

"He stole your hamburger!" added Kiyotaka, supporting Zapatta's claims.

"God, did you eat the stupidity inducing particles in that air as well?" hissed Hiyoko at Yasuhiro, already feeling completely done.

"No! It has to be aliens! It's the only way!" still insisted Yasuhiro, much to everyone's dismay.

"HE STOLE YOUR BURGER, DUMBASS!" yelled Mondo, frustrated as much as everyone was.

"Listen….I walked here, snatched your burger and _nom nom nom_, I ate it while you weren't and at the same time were looking. Is...that….really...so...hard….to….fucking….comprehend?" fumed Zapatta as he tried to remain as calm as possible.

"..."

"...What if the aliens were microscopic and invisible? That could explain the sudden disappearance of his hamburger, right?" Celeste raised a point, though it was unsure if she was serious or not regarding her tone.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" both Zapatta and Yasuhiro yelled as they bum rushed out of the dining room, one yelling out of frustration while other out of fear. The biggest, most embarrassing awkward silence of Hope's Peak Academy's dining room followed after that event, only for Suifta and Figottoni to enter it.

"I-Is he gone?" asked Mikan as she peeked out of the table. The moment she was assured, she crawled out and sat on a chair.

"...Was he at it again?" murmured Suifta, being very close to mentally die out of embarrassment. Figottoni remained silent, though the mass of his blocked the sight of entrance.

"Again?!" asked Kiyotaka, completely shocked by Suifta's implications. Suifta's only response was a big sigh.

"We shall return in a short amount of time." announced Figottoni before he and Suifta decided to chase down their friend. The biggest, most embarrassing awkward silence of Hope's Peak Academy returned once again.

"Celeste...you didn't mean it, did you?" asked Makoto, just to be sure.

"Hehehe….I let myself have fun for a bit." Celestia admitted that her entire comment was, indeed, a jape.

"No amount of human emotion could describe the amount of disappointment I feel now." said Kyoko, before mysteriously walking away from the dining room.

Outside of Hope's Peak Academy, the doors of the entrance opened as the two rushing lads kept running parallel to each other, only for them to be grabbed by the shoulders by Suifta herself. While she just turned away Yasuhiro so that he could normally return to the dining room, she kept Zapatta from moving anywhere, so she could eschew him for his actions. Little did they know….

Out of a seamless bush, four binoculars peeked out, though one was turned the wrong way. Those binoculars were observing what were four but then three individuals up to. The owners of the binoculars were camoflaged inside the bush, not moving an inch. It appeared that these spying rascals were….penguins?!

"Kowalski!" called one of the penguins, being averagely sized but slightly bulky for such an avian. "Status report!"

"Sir! It appears we have arrived at our destination, the academy. Just like the coordinates told us about _their _activity. Outside of the institution, there are four people, one just ran inside. One spiky haired, one twin tails, one extra large and one with the afro. Unfortunately, I have no intel about them nor can I hear what are they saying." reported Kowalski, the tall and lanky penguin, while still keeping his eyes on the three students. Hearing his report, the rather crazy looking penguin spat out a directional microphone out of his stomach, which made the littlest penguin slightly nauseated. Despite coming out of his stomach, the microphone was clean.

"Well, look at that! Rico's got you covered!" said the leading penguin confidently.

"BLAURGH!" blurted out Rico, in response to his leader's compliment. Kowalski picked up the directional microphone and started listening to the conversation that Zapatta, Suifta and Figottoni had.

"What did Figottoni tell you twice already? And yet you kept doing it…." scolded Suifta, putting arms around her hips.

"LUNACY! I DID NOT EXPECT LUNACY!" yelled Zapatta out of sheer frustration.

"I would say personalities like these were expected of an academy centered around that niche." advised Figottoni. "It does not color me surprised if I see such people around here."

"They seem to have screwed up a thing back there. There are also some mentions of academy being centered around niche." further reported Kowalski after more covert listening. By the time he reported, the trio seemed to make up and enter the academy once again.

"Niche? What was it again…." the leader penguin tried to remind himself.

"Talent." responded Kowalski with relative quickness to his voice. "Only the most talented people and those with a lot of wealth if they lack it are allowed to enter it, if I recall my previous report correct."

"Well, that's kind of unfair." grumbled the leader penguin, walking in a straight line behind the bush as if he was contemplating something. "I thought you have to earn for it, like it was supposed to be!"

"Uh, Skipper." stammered the littlest penguin, trying to approach his boss. "Are you sure these three are a part of..."

"Can't confirm nor deny." said Kowalski in order to answer his question.

"Well, Private. We gotta see it for ourselves." conversed Skipper while giving Private a pat on the head. "We gotta sneak in!"

And so the penguins rolled towards the Hope's Peak Academy without anyone noticing it, beginning their mission.

The sun was almost about the set. The first day of Hope's Peak Academy was over. Everyone was outside, ready to call it a day and depart for themselves. Chiaki was playing her game once again, before she saw everyone else in front of the entrance, seeing their smiles on their face.

"Byeeeeeeee, Chiaki!" shouted Ibuki Mioda as she was being lifted by Chisa herself. Chisa, along with Sonia, Mikan and Chihiro waved her a farewell as well.

"Goodbye, everyone. See you tomorrow...I think." said Chiaki Nanami, waving at them as well before finally departing. When she was walking towards her home, she found Hajime near the fountain and joined him.

"Well….that was...honestly a very bizarre day." pondered Hajime out loud to her, not sure if he liked his first day or not.

"It was rather unusual...but do not be afraid of upcoming days." contributed Chiaki, surprising him on how quickly she figured him out. "Life itself can be weird and unpredictable, but you should make the best out of it….right? Who knows what kind of stuff could happen here...could be the best stuff of our lives...I think."

"Yeah...you're right. Let's try to make our days good, shall we?" said Hajime, gaining a small but sincere smile on his face. Suddenly, Chiaki offered him one of her consoles, surprising him again.

"Wanna play for a bit?" she asked, to which he did accepted. And so they played video games with each other before the time when they were about to go home arrived.

Meanwhile, inside the academy, the four penguins secretly observed the departing students while pretending to wave at them.

"Smile and wave boys." ordered Skipper while they kept waving at them. "Just smile and wave."


	2. A Day for Show Offs!

Another day has started. Chiaki Nanami was sitting on the bench while the tiny sparrows surrounded her. Despite seeming to play a video game on her handheld, she was, in fact, sleeping. She snore like a mouse, but no one disturbed her. The console in her hands kept running, but its battery was half empty. After some time passed, it just happened that Hajime passed by. He saw the sleeping girl and went up to her, checking if she's alright. He poked her shoulder to wake her up. Just before she opened her eyes, she let out a big yawn.

"Good morning, Hajime." greeted Chiaki as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Uhh...how did you manage to sleep like that?" asked Hajime while having a look of confusion on his face.

"Oh...I slept again." realized Chiaki, fully regaining energy as she stood up. "How are you today, Hajime?"

"I think I'm good." answered Hajime.

"That's nice to hear. My day is already brighter because of you. Anyway, shall we go together?" requested Chiaki, pointing at Hope's Peak Academy. Hajime agreed and so they went, walking towards their respective school. Chiaki kept playing her video game, but her focus was more set on him as she paid attention. During their little journey, they talked about the experiences in school so far and video games. When talking about latter, Chiaki tended to go on tangents on how some of the games she played were of extremely high quality and how she wants to play them with her friends one day. At first, Hajime was surprised to see her so energetic about something, but he quickly adapted to it, even having a smile on his face when he listened her geeking out.

Once they reached their school, they saw Ibuki Mioda waiting at the entrance.

"Good mornin'!" greeted Ibuki as she waved at them, hopping like an excited rabbit. To be fair, she did, in fact, looked like a bunny.

"Heyo, Ibuki. What's up?" asked Hajime as he waved back.

"Not much, not much! Ibuki's been waiting for anyone to come. But luck has shined on the great Ibuki and now you two are here!" explained Ibuki. "How about you two?"

"Well, not much has happened now. Just woke up and prepared myself for school. Picked up Chiaki on the way though." said Hajime as he pointed at her.

"I played a game while waiting for friends. Chose for something quick and simple, like a platformer. Unfortunately, I might have been...a little sleepy...during it….I think." added Chiaki, letting out a little yawn from before.

"You slept like a hibernating bear while sitting." Hajime corrected her. While Chiaki blushed a little, Ibuki's eyes widened upon hearing such revelation, curios on both how did she manage to do that and seeing Chiaki herself resting.

"Ooooooo, Hajime! Caught a girl sleeping! Ibuki's a bit jealous, hehe….Anyway, ready for a new day?" piqued Ibuki, flailing her arms.

"To be honest, I don't think I'd be prepared for something similar to yesterday..." thought Hajime to himself, but both of them nodded in agreement as they went to their class. Upon their arrival, the only sound in the halls were their footsteps, which echoed through out. Clock on the wall signaled their arrival, perhaps too early. After some time walking in the desolate halls, they have reached the doors of their class. Opening the doors, they saw few individuals there: Mahiru showing her photographs as Mikan seemed rather excited, Sonia Nevermind preparing for class (she was early due to her habits) and Gundham Tanaka leaning towards the wall as he looked out of the window.

"O-oh! It's them!" said Mikan as she stepped towards them and bowed down. Hajime looked at her with some level with concern.

"Good morning, Mikan. How are you?" asked Chiaki.

"N-not much today. I-it's just a nice morning." stuttered Mikan as the morning went on. Aside from them hanging out, Mikan's words about the day rang true. Time passed on as more students arrived to the class, minding their own business. They all waited for their teacher to arrive.

The class started for them. Their teacher, Chisa Yukizome, opened the doors, arriving just in time.

"Good morning, everyone!" greeted Chisa as she placed herself behind her desk.

"Good morning, Miss Yukizome!" greeted everyone in the class, standing up in the process.

"So, guys! Today is gonna be an exciting day! We have so much to do today! Are you ready, guys?" cheered Chisa as she pumped her fists up in the air. Most of the class agreed with her, but some people like Fuyuhiko were not as enthusiastic.

"Oh yeah, sitting behind a table, how fun." gibed Hiyoko, giving a smug look at Chisa.

"Is that so? Well, consider that notion to be completely flipped over the head!" countered Chisa with determination sparkling in her eyes.

"Hehehe, tough luck with that! I'd like to see you flop." further sassed Hiyoko. Despite her attempts to put her teacher down, Chisa's will to give out the best experience to the class only strengthened.

"...I don't understand her. Why is she like that?" wondered Chiaki as she gave out a glance of disapproval towards the bully with twin tails.

"I assure you today is gonna be the moment of your life! Absolutely nothing will go wrong!" said Chisa with a radiant smile on her face, even making Hiyoko reconsider for a bit. Her smile managed to comfort the entire classroom.

"I give it ten seconds." thought Hajime to himself, feeling something wrong up in the air.

Suddenly, a loud knock was heard. It sounded like someone crashed right into the doors. Only Mikan hid herself under the table while everyone didn't give much attention to it. Even as the mood was disrupted, Chisa kept her smile.

"...Is that asshole again?" groaned Fuyuhiko, rolling his eyes.

The doors opened with sheer force, revealing a person dressed like someone from a glam rock band, remaining in a position where he performed the kick while imitating an electric guitar at the same time.

"MOTHAAAFUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAS!"

Said person was, indeed, Zapatta, the Ultimate Rock star.

"...5 seconds, it was." thought Hajime to himself while nearly everyone looked at Zapatta. The most positive response to him was a look of annoyance. However, Gundham Tanaka leaned his head, setting sight on him as he thought. Nagito didn't mind either.

"Good morning, Zapatta! What do you need?" asked Chisa, still having a smile on her face.

"Hahahaha! I, THE ULTIMATE ROCK STAR, have come here for something special, something grandiose!" announced Zapatta as he raised his finger up in the air.

"...What is it?" chided Hajime as he leaned his head on his arm.

"Ugh...Can't you just do anything normally? Is it really that hard for you?" complained Mahiru while crossing her arms.

"Nah nah, doing the things like you should is like eating vanilla: can feel nice at times, but it's nothing special. Boring! Lame-o-hell-no! What I do consider, though, is that life is nothing short of a performance! You gotta make it your best, you gotta work on that PRESENTATION!" boasted Zapatta, flailing his arms like he played an instrument every time. It resulted in Mahiru groaning and most of the classmates being either confused or annoyed.

"You got that right!" approved Nekomaru, letting out a laugh out of satisfaction. "That's some spirit!"

"Nekomaru,….please." sighed Akane, trying to convince him that Zapatta is not exactly someone he should praise.

"Hmmmm…." audibly thought Gundham Tanaka, observing the motions of the rockstar.

"Well, if that's your way of expression, then more power to you!" added Nagito with a smile on his face.

"I'd agree, but you really gotta work on the collateral damage aspect." added Ibuki as she pointed at the door, revealing a bump inside it.

"..Eh, it's nothing!….Probably" Zapatta tried to defend himself before glancing over to the bump. Even a person with the most glaring sight issues would immediately notice the damage done by him. "...probably."

"...So, Zapatta...May I ask you on the reason why you came here?" asked Chiaki, trying to stabilize the situation.

"..Oh, yes. Aha. I, the greatest ROCK STAR of them all, have come here to…." elaborated Zapatta as he went back on track, inhaling deeply before finishing his statement. He has attempted to create suspense, but everyone else was just done by his shenanigans.

"…."

"For fucks sake, get on with it!" lashed out Fuyuhiko, shaking his fist at Zapatta.

"...hey, does anyone here know how to fix a projector? Our is completely busted and no one in my class can fix it." suddenly asked Zapatta in a completely chill tone.

"….What." questioned everyone at his mood shift.

"I mean, sure?" I can help, I guess." Kazuichi reluctantly offered himself for the job. "But you better make it worth it! And definitely not for your sake!"

"Then come with me!" advised Zapatta as he waved at him. "Someone in my class had to do it and I _wholeheartedly_ volunteered."

"Sure you did..." wondered Hajime in his mind, seeing both his technocolor haired classmate and the rockstar leave the classroom.

"Thank you! Thank you! Now we must go and fix that blunder! Byeeeee!" said Zapatta just before he was about to head out with Kazuichi, only to be stopped by Chisa.

"Just one second, Zapatta. There's something I need to tell you." requested Chisa to him while still having that smile on her face.

"Yea? What's up, Chis?" asked Zapatta, turning towards the professor of Class 77-B. She grabbed him by the shoulder, adjusting the grip.

"….Please ask nicely next time." suddenly threatened Chisa, with her expression changing from a happy expression to a cold glare, filled with protection instinct for her classmates.

"Uh...okay then. If you say so." faltered Zapatta as he saw that glare suddenly shift into a smile once again. Then he, along with Zapatta, left the classroom fully. A moment of silence followed before the entire class (bar few exceptions) sighed.

"I-is he gone?" stammered Mikan as she peeked out of her desk.

"What an intriguing individual…." pondered Gundham out loud, scratching his chin in the process. His face was covered in scarf, so that he could maximize his intimidation.

"...Why does this always happen when he's there?" asked Mahiru in complete annoyance.

"I dunno, some jerks just wanna stir up things." Akane attempted to answer.

"Well, he said that's how he expresses himself." added Nagito, raising his fingers in the process.

"Pfft, he plays a tough shit because he knows inside he's a weakling! A pig shit, just like Mikan!"

scoffed Hiyoko. Her remark sent Mikan into tears and she received an angry glare from Chiaki. Suddenly, the doors opened normally. Zapatta used his hand this time.

"My goodness, he used his arm to open the door!" yelled Sonia in shock.

"Uh oh! This means trouble!" warned Ibuki.

"...What the hell are you looking at me like that?!" bickered Hiyoko, pointing at him. Zapatta gave her a smug smirk, tilting his head as if he was slightly curious.

"….Ooooh, not much. Just heard a certain banana bush has been talking shit about me, just when I was about to leave." explained Zapatta as he slowly approached her.

"W-what?! Hah, you said that bananas grow on bushes? IDIOT! Everyone knows that banana grow on palm trees, you stupid!" retaliated Hiyoko as she tried to gain an upper hand.

"Please, please, calm down your hostilities." requested Chisa as she saw the situation escalating.

"Looks like scientists have discovered a new species of banana plant then: a moldy banana bush, called Hiyoko Saoinji. Known for being quite a short stature, repugnant odor and it's fruits being absolutely awful. They taste like a roadkill with some expired jam on it!" ranted Zapatta while giving her a rather threatening grin. His left eye started to twitch.

"Shut up! Shut up! None of this is true! I don't smell and just give me a few years to grow!" Hiyoko defended herself as all of her smugness started to vanish.

"Hm? Do I see someone crumbling? Trembling? And then you say that I, the Great Zapatta, the Ultimate ROCK STAR, is the wea-" gloated Zapatta, before Mahiru jumped in and prevented him from approaching any closer.

"How about you back off and leave now?!" condemned Mahiru, spreading her arms to act like a wall. Chiaki prepared herself to step in if the situation escalated even futher.

"Y-yea, she's right! Sod off!" barked Hiyoko, being nearly in tears.

"Don't worry, Mahjong. I'm not gonna harm the banana bush in any sort of way, but I just wanna express something to her. You know, like you _normally_ do." clarified Zapatta, but his intent was quite transparent.

"It's kind of typical, really. It's those who smack talk others that tend to have the biggest complexes. Ah, so many complexes...I've lost count! Let me tell you something..." he said as he leaned to her. "You and your puny dances are hundreds of miles behind me and my accomplishments. A rotten banana bush is never gonna reach the same stardom as a ROCK STAR. You might be known regionally, but I'm known world wide! Let that sink in….People often say "go pick someone your own size", it's kind of annoying...but it applies perfectly to _you. _Go project your own weaknesses on someone as lowly as you."

At that point, Hiyoko was just trembling, not sure if she would cry or be in total panic. It didn't help her that Zapatta was giving her the same stare as Chisa gave it to him, only to also have a nearly psychotic smirk instead.

"So, basically…..._**talk shit, get hit**_." gave Zapatta his final word before he triumphantly stomped away from them and left the classroom completely. Mahiru gave him a glare filled with fury before she turned towards trembling tear driven Hiyoko, giving her a hug and reassuring that everything is fine. Stunned silence surrounded the classroom, with no one sure what to say. Mikan stepped in as well, trying to reassure her, despite being personally attacked by her before.

"D-dude...I know she's a huge jerk, but t-that was...that was just an overkill!" stammered Kazuichi as he went with him.

"Eh, people like that deserve it." justified Zapatta. "Don't worry about it too much, Kazuichi Soda bicarbonite. Shit talkers need to know their place."

"...Damn…." cursed Fuyuhiko, being stunned at Zapatta's rant.

"….Well, looks like the day isn't gonna be that well at all..." lamented Chisa as she looked at her shocked class. Suddenly, Chiaki stood up and stepped to her, being all pumped up.

"Don't give up just yet, Miss Yukizome! We shouldn't let one bad thing influence the entire course of the day! There is always a chance, always a possibility….to make it worth at the end." spoke Chiaki to her. Thanks to her speech, the entire atmosphere of the classroom went from uncertainty to a glimmer of hope, a sunny day after a mild storm.

"You go, Chiaki!" supported Ibuki, flailing her arms. Sonia and Mikan joined in as well.

"So, shall we make the day?" asked Chiaki, smiling at her teacher.

"M-maybe….just maybe..." sniffed Hiyoko, desiring her day to be just a tad bit better.

"...Chiaki..." marveled Chisa, before they truly started the class. Unlike in many other schools, where it's just sitting, listening to the top brass and writing down, a lot of the work in Class 77-B were ones of being in practice: each student displayed their own talent at their fullest. For example, they were seeing Mahiru's photography profession at work. She tried as hard as she could to make the best picture of her class as possible. Overall, the students of Class 77-B enjoyed a great time together with their teacher, even making Hiyoko feel slightly better.

However, deep down, Hajime was not exactly enjoying the class to the fullest. He felt like something was missing inside of him...A feeling of not belonging there.

The class took a pause with the lunch break. The students of Class 77-B headed towards the dining hall. Chiaki, Ibuki and Hajime went together, just like before. They were talking about the classes...and sometimes whatever Ibuki spouted.

Suddenly, they saw Teruteru on their way.

"Oh heeeey, Hajime! I see you got some hot ladi-" attempted to flirt Teruteru, only for a table that just happened to be in the hall just happened to fall over, breaking into multiple pieces and startling them all together.

"H-how did that fall?" asked Teruteru in a stunned matter, looking at the broken pieces.

"Uh...how am I supposed to know?" questioned Hajime as well.

"Maybe the table just didn't feel like existing anymore?...or it just collapsed because of the structural issues?" pondered Ibuki as she scratched her head.

"That's strange...it seemed rather new...I think..." said Chiaki upon a closer inspection of the table.

"That is quite a mystery but that's not the main point. Hajime and the girls, I have a question for you!" asked Teruteru as he pointed at them like an actor in a play.

"Yeah? What's up" piqued Hajime.

"This might sound odd….but have you seen my spoons?" asked the concerned but smiling chef.

"Teru...I think the only one who has the proper access to kitchen is you." answered Hajime, confused at the problem his culinary classmate presented.

"Yes, indeed. But I was wondering if you have seen any spoons anywhere in the school? All of them are gone!" clarified Teruteru, making some gestures in the process.

"No, I don't think so...I think" added Chiaki after gazing off to the table.

"But why would the spoons disappear? They couldn't just say "nah, it ain't fun here" and walk away, right?" wondered Ibuki as she imagined spoons getting legs and walking off with their suitcases.

"I'm asking the same, gorgeous Ibuki! What kind of person would just steal spoons?" kept questioning Teruteru, contemplating the cause of the disappearance of the spoons.

"Oh, I know! A spoonomaniac! They cannot endure a day without spoons!" stated Ibuki

"..That's kind of nuts, if I'm honest." commented Hajime, having a hard time imagining her statement having any sort of ground to stand on.

"Then I must find a spoonomaniac! Farewell, Hajime! I hope you have some fun time wi-" flirted Teruteru once again, but was interrupted by the fall of a ceiling light behind him, which shattered into multiple pieces.

"AIIIIIIEEEEE! Again?!" yelled Teruteru as he looked back, witnessing the result of the fallen object.

"Yep. Again." affirmed Chiaki.

"I must go now, bai bai!" rushed off Teruteru, quickly disappeared from their sight. He ran across the hall as if he was chased by a cheetah.

"...but seriously though, why does the furniture keep falling?" wondered Hajime out loud, to which Chiaki and Ibuki couldn't properly answer, but they continued their way to the dining hall.

Upon reaching the dining hall, they saw not only their classmates eating their meals, but the students of Class 78th as well, hanging out with them. Chiaki, Hajime and Ibuki sat to the table with Chihiro, Makoto, Sayaka and others, just chilling and talking to each other. They talked about the day, their usual interests and sometimes about others. Chiaki was observing the dining hall, seeing that everyone else (including Hiyoko) was having fun up until she saw Gundham Tanaka just walking down, picking up the seeds and leaving the dining hall without leaving a single word.

"Hold on, guys." said Chiaki, standing up and going in the same direction as the enigmatic classmate.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Chihiro, being surprised at her standing up.

"I just need to check something. I'll be back soon." replied Chiaki, reassuring that everything is going to be okay as she briefly left the table. As she exited the dining hall, the surroundings of classmates were replaced by the empty soundless halls of the school. Only thing that gave the halls "life" was the furniture, which, after the events with Teruteru, didn't exactly assure a by-passer whether or not they're going to stumble upon you. Despite the emptiness, she did see a glimpse of Gundham walking towards the exit, but not before she saw a rather short purple haired girl with rather big glasses. Not exactly the victor in smell department, the girl was seem biting her thumb, seemingly out of anxiety. It was none other than Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy.

"Hey hey. Is everything alright?!" asked Chiaki as she tried to approach her.

"GYAAAAH!" yelped Toko as she dashed towards the toilet and slammed the door shut. "Stay away!"

Chiaki didn't say anything, but Toko's response caused her to have a little frown on her face. She couldn't let that affect her, so she went forward. Just before she went through the entrance, she saw Byakuya Togami and Zapatta bickering just like yesterday. Their topic was about each other's attitudes. Upon glancing at them, she only gave out a sigh before she went through the entrance, reaching outside. She was Gundham Tanaka crouching with his back facing the school. Chiaki wondered what Gundham was doing.

"Feast upon these, my Four Dark Devas of Destruction." spoke Gundham Tanaka as he reached his hand out to his hamsters, sometimes even patting them. His voice was rather soft when he talked to his "demons". "They shall provide enough nutrients for your well being."

"Hey, Gundham." greeted Chiaki at him as she held her backpack. "What are you doing, if I may ask?"

"DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE RITUAL, MORTAL! STAND ASIDE, IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!" shouted Gundham Tanaka, standing up and preparing a battle stance. Even his hamsters joined in a fight. The only response he got from his classmate was a head tilt out of curiosity.

"Ritual? What kind of ritual are you having?" asked Chiaki, wanting to see how the "ritual" even looks like.

"You don't know about _the ritual_? Fuwahahahaha! Then let me share the forbidden information...Prepare yourself, as it may cost you sanity!" announced Gundham as he allowed her to step closer. Both of them crouched down to see his pets at work.

"It is a daily ritual, where the needs of the demons must be satisfied! Just like it was told in the Pandemonium, it goes by the name of _THE FEAST, _where a battle of survival comes into the play! Four Dark Devas of Destruction must choose what will they consume. If they choose the right nutrient, they shall be blessed from the Dark Lords! If not, then they'll demand more!" elaborated Gundham Tanaka, just feeding his hamsters.

"Oh, so that's what you do, but the demons seem to get along with each other, enjoying it." pointed out Chiaki as she observed the whole process.

"Do not be deceived! When the time comes, they become rather territorial. Fierce battles take place, where they endure the most punishing hits. They will do whatever it takes to reach their goal, no matter the destruction! It's the cause of why my arm is cursed!" insisted Gundham Tanaka, showing her his bandaged arm.

"Huh, I never knew about that...Say, Gundham, can I try feeding them?" requested Chiaki, reaching her arm out to get seeds.

"...Are you absolutely sure, mortal? Are you willing to take such a risk?" warned Gundham Tanaka with absolute seriousness.

"Well, giving it a try wouldn't hurt." answered Chiaki, giving him a smile.

"Hmmm...I like that attitude. You may get a pass." smirked Gundham Tanaka, giving her the seeds. She reached out to the Four Dark Devas, giving them the desired feast. The hamster had no reservations, so they consumed the source of nutrition from her hand. Suddenly, as the hamsters fed, she reached with her unoccupied arm in order to pat them.

"DO NOT PERFORM SUCH HASTY MOVE!" shouted Gundham Tanaka, grabbing her arm in order to stop her from touching his pets, but he was too late...She already patted the hamster. However, the hamster embraced the soft pats from her, even rolling a bit to coordinate with the pat.

"Fascinating…it seems like the Four Dark Devas of Destruction have accepted you among them." marveled Gundham while all of the Dark Devas got themselves in her palms.

"They're rather ticklish...but it feels nice. Never have I touched a demon before. Thank you for allowing me, Gundham Tanaka." thanked Chiaki as she looked towards Gundham.

"...You're welcome...I mean, you must thank the Lords for allowing you to experience such a rare occurrence! Fuwahahahaha!" boasted Gundham, but not before sincerely thanking her. Chiaki did notice that. Their bonding time came to an end once Ibuki stepped out of the entrance.

"Heyo! I see you two are having some fun, but Ibuki has some bad news to tell! The lunch break is over….We must go back to the class!" reported Ibuki, waving at them.

"Hey, Gundham. If you feel comfortable, join us any time." invited Chiaki for the future possibilities.

"I prefer to seek solitude...but for a servant like you, the Supreme Overlord might make an exception!" approved Gundham as they went inside the school before going each own way. Gundham went his own way while Chiaki joined up with Ibuki.

The outside was filled with only silence. A gust of wind infrequently disrupted the tranquility. A few of the leaves fell on the ground. Suddenly, a molehill started to pop up from the ground. It got larger as the time passed, but after it reached its maximum size, the cause of it appeared as well. It was not done by a mole, but rather penguins! They observed their surroundings, to see if there's any threat. They were holding shiny steel spoons, being slightly dirtied by the dirt, as their tools of choice.

"Kowalski, progress report!" ordered Skipper, turning his head towards the lanky penguin. Kowalski quickly brought up his abacus, placing the beads on the lines.

"65% of the Tunnel One done, 5,4% of the whole proposed base finished. We have only dug 19 feet of the Tunnel One." reported Kowalski after finishing his calculations.

"Dam! We must finish our headquarters in no time! Not to mention after we're done with the structure, we have to bring in some equipment as well!" emphasized Skipper as he slammed his flipper like wing on another. "How long will it take us to say finito with the structure?"

"Six to nine days." answered Kowalski, doing additional calculations on the abacus.

"Sixty nine days?!" shouted Skipper in bafflement.

"No, _six to nine_ days." clarified Kowalski as he emphasized the duration.

"Now, that ain't so bad….as long as they don't come in first, we're all dandy." said Skipper as he cleaned the imitated sweat of his head.

"Uh, Skipper….are you sure we left the entrance checked? What if they find us out because of that?" pointed out Private.

"...Rico!" ordered Skipper after taking a note from Private's words. Rico saluted and lunged himself inside the custom built tunnel. Performing a slide, he was traveling at high speeds through out the underground corridor.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, filled with many culinary objects except the spoons, Teruteru and Kyoko were hanging out, investigating the disappearance of the spoons. They were inspecting the drawer, where the spoons were supposed to reside.

"So this was the last place where the spoons were?" asked Kyoko as she inspected every single corner of the drawer to find any possible clues.

"Yep! Exactly there! They couldn't be nowhere else!" Insisted Teruteru, getting more concerned as the time passed by.

"Hmmm...I will request the security to give the footage of the kitchen. Then I'll bring in some equipment to further inspect this place." explained Kyoko her plan to him before they were about to leave the kitchen. Just when they were inches away from exiting the kitchen, Rico arrived just on time. He spat out a glue, a locking mechanism and a linkage so that the floor tile he was above could function as a door. Rico then put glue on each part before smacking them on the underside of the tile. Just for a demonstration, he opened the tile like a door and then fiercely closed it (but not breaking it) before he locked the door. The tile floor showed no flaws and Rico dashed off back to his squad, satisfied with the results. Unfortunately for him, the slam was heard by Kyoko, but not by Teruteru. Without the chef noticing it, Kyoko returned to the kitchen and checked the tiles. She noticed that one tile was particularly off, so she decided it to move it a bit. While she couldn't open it, the tile alone gave her a clue on how the spoons disappeared.

Back at the penguins, Rico returned with a grin on his face.

"Rico! Did you manage to do it?" asked Skipper as if he was requesting an order.

"Uh huh!" replied Rico, giving him a thumbs up with his flipper.

"Well done, soldier. Now we can continue without any setbacks!¨" praised Skipper as each of them gave each other a high five before they went underground, continuing with building their base in the process.

Meanwhile, Chiaki and Ibuki were walking down the hallway, talking about their own stuff.

"Hey, Chiaki! I'll get ya in the class, I must just do one thing right now!" said Ibuki as she waved at her before she went to the nearest toilet. She held on the handle, trying to open it, but the door refused to budge.

"D-Didn't you hear from it before?! I said back off!" lashed out Toko, who was still in the toilet.

"Okay, Toilet! I'll return when you feel better!" assured Ibuki before she backed off. "Well, Ibuki can hold it in-..."

Just when she was about to return to the class, she bumped in a punk looking girl. Ibuki tripped over and fell on her bum. She saw that she bumped right into Suifta, whom towered above her like an ostrich compared to a cat.

"Yo." greeted Suifta as she pointed at her with finger guns.

"O-oh hello there! Didn't see you here, so I hope you don't mind that. Seeing you in that angle is rather intense!" stuttered Ibuki as she picked herself up.

"Nah, it's ok. I was looking for you, in fact." assured Suifta, crossing her arms in a chill way.

"Oh? You were searching the great Ibuki? At your service!..But what for, Ibuki wonders?" said Ibuki.

"Heard you're a musician. Is that right?" asked Suifta, pointing at her again.

"Of course! Would you like to hear one of my songs?" cheered Ibuki, being excited at the possibility of sharing her songs with another person.

"Sorta. Say, what kind of stuff are you in?" further piqued Suifta.

"Metal's my jam! I like it when it goes heavy and when the riff tears through the sky!" answered Ibuki all pumped up.

"Ooo, that's nice….But how about rap, for example?" suggested Suifta as she prepared herself a cool stance.

"Rap? No problem-o, I can do it with every poem-o!" chirped Ibuki.

"Heh, that's the spirit. I'm inviting you for a rap battle. Just for fun, you know." requested Suifta, pointing at her microphone inside her hair. "I am a rapper...not just an ordinary one, but an Ultimate."

"A duel? Just between you and me? A brawl of riffs and beats?! I, Ibuki Mioda, accept your challenge with delight!" dramatized Ibuki as it was a life-or-death situation.

"...Well now. After school, right?" asked Suifta one more time.

"Right-o!" approved Ibuki, raising her hand. "I will C you in the heat of the battle!".

Each of them departed to their own class, with Ibuki prancing around like a happy pony and Suifta walking off with a smirk on her face.

During her class, Ibuki tried to convince her friends to back her up for the incoming battle. Initially, her classmates were confused about what was she talking about, but she manage to convince Sonia and Chiaki on her side. Meanwhile, Suifta got Zapatta on her side. Since Figottoni was absent from school (for unknown reasons) she had to pick someone else. In a twist of events, Gundham Tanaka, the Supreme Overlord, joined them. Together, they made their own temporary gang.

The school ended for the day. Ibuki Mioda and her supported walked out of the school, waiting for her opponent to come. Not long after, Suifta and her gang strutted out of the school to face her. They positioned each other like they had a duel like cowboys. As they were setting up, some of the students passed by while some stayed to see what will happen.

"You ready, girl?" asked Suifta as she pulled out a microphone out of her hair, tapping it for a test.

"Ready like a kitty cat going for a snatch!" approved Ibuki, giving her a thumbs up.

One of the fellas brought a radio with him and clicked the play button, starting the music in the process.

"Yo, my name is Suifta

and I've got to say

my rhymes are like a ballista,

crushing everything on their way.

"So, Ibuki Mioda,

what will you say about that?

Will you strike like a barracuda

or will you stink like a gnat?"

Suifta passed her the microphone, leading for Ibuki and her gang to strike a pose, similar to those that rappers love to do.

"Heyooo, I am Ibuki,

things are about to get spooky,

my voice will be like a kabuki,

prepare for my rhymes to get real kooky!"

Chiaki and Sonia cheered for her, pumping their fists to support her as she passed the mic over to her opponent. While the music continued, Suifta's gang started to dance like madmen

"A worthy one I picked,

flow is just right,

but prepare for something wicked,

because my beats will make you lose your sight!"

When Suifta finished her last verse, Zapatta and Gundham performed some sick moves. The audience gasped when they roundhouse kicked the air and then performed a back flip before landing right on their feet. She dropped her microphone, but Ibuki snatched in in time before she crossed her arms and raised one of her eyebrows, giving her a confident smirk.

"No beats scare the great,

the fire within me shall not rest,

it will be quite a treat

when I'll be known as the best!"

The crowd cheered for Ibuki when they heard her verses, leading an uproar of joy nearby. Chiaki and Sonia kept cheering for her as Gundham nodded in approval. Suddenly, Zapatta rocked the hell out of the "battlefield" with his custom electric guitar, which was enhanced by the metallic plates (in terms of durability). The audience had their breath taken away by his performance. They couldn't even see his fingers using the guitar just from the sheer speed of them. He did riffs so hard that the entire ground shook from just his playing. Zapatta has completely overtaken the radio with his electric guitar.

"Now that's Ibuki's forte!" resounded Ibuki as her determination in her eyes shined like a star. Upon seeing that Ibuki needs her "weapon" in the current weapon, Sonia briefly exited the "battlefield", but quickly returned with Mioda's own guitar.

"Have this, Ibuki!" Sonia yelled as she passed her the instrument. Upon obtaining it, Ibuki gave him a grin just before he rocked out as well. Within seconds, she managed to catch up to his performance. The ground shook even more as she performed riffs to match the ones of the greats. Zapatta noticed that he's got a new competitor, so he increased the intensity of his performance, even doing stunts like swaying his body like a crocodile tearing apart its prey. Ibuki, knowing that Zapatta was gaining advantage, started to work on her body language as well. Not only did she sway her body like a true ROCK STAR, but she activated her flamethrower, built within the guitar. Everyone around her stepped back so that they couldn't be roasted. She started to spin her instrument as it spit fire, making a circle of inferno in the process. Zapatta's jaw dropped as he saw Ibuki's act, but still trying to keep up with her with sheer power.

"HAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" yelled Ibuki with all her might as she jumped as high she could while still spinning the guitar before landing on the ground and deactivating her flamethrower, performing a split with her legs in the process. From that alone, Zapatta fell on him bum from sheer awe...and so did the support cast of each group. Audience was left speechless, but eventually gave off a huge applause.

"Hey, you're pretty good." complimented Zapatta with absolute sincerity in his voice, giving her a thumbs up.

"Well done, Ibuki. You have proven yourself to be a worthy musician." added Suifta as she shook hands with her.

"Thank you! Thank you all who joined here!" cheered Ibuki for everyone, even for her opponents. "Say...who won this duel?"

Meanwhile, from a seamless bush, penguins have been secretly watching the duel while eating popcorn. Rico applauded both of them, especially because of how loud it got.

"Oh hey, we got ourselves a free concert!" said Private.

"Indeed. It was a good break, but we must get back to work!" ordered Skipper before each penguin grabbed their spoon and started digging, continuing their work with the base.


	3. Exchange of a Day

Another day dawned upon Hope's Peak Academy. The clouds in the sky looked like pieces of cotton being gently put as some kind of decoration. It was just a perfect day to start off.

All of the students of Class 77-B were already waiting inside. Chiaki was playing some kind of a platformer game with a cute round character as the star while Hajime and Ibuki keenly watched her. They took turns every time the particular character lost a life because of an obstacle or enemy. Mahiru gently brushed Hiyoko's hair, making sure that she looks as good as possible. Gundham Tanaka was still comfortably occupying the corner, observing the class. Fuyuhiko and Peko were quietly sitting down, seemingly wanting nothing to do with everybody else. Akane and Nekomaru hanged out together after having few high speed laps around the school. Kazuichi did just one activity at that moment: chilling. The white haired fella by the name of Nagito Komaeda kept thinking about certain things. The only one who wasn't in the class at that time was Teruteru, who has requested yesterday that he will continue searching his missing spoons. All of them waited for the time to come.

Once the clock hit just right, the doors opened, revealing none other than their teacher Chisa Yukizome. All of the classmates stood up on sight of her.

"Good morning, class!" greeted Chisa as she waved at them with her typical shining smile, which lightened up the atmosphere in the class quite a lot.

"Good morning, Miss Yukizome!" greeted everyone, sitting down once they've fully said it.

"So, I've got some good news for you, guys!" announced Chisa as she stepped behind her table, putting her arms on hips. "Since we saw that you fellas seem to get really well among students of Class 78th, we decided to make an event!"

"What will it be, Miss Yukizome?" asked Mahiru after she raised her hand. Some of the classmates tuned in while such individuals like Hiyoko pretended to be deaf.

"Today, an exchange will happen! One of you will visit their classroom and vice versa! Who will arrive here is a surprise!" cheerfully answered Chisa. "Talked to their professor about it and they seemed to agree with the idea."

"That's a little early for such things, isn't it?" questioned Kazuichi, scratching his head as he gave an uneasy smile

"Idea's alright, but who's gonna be the volunteer?" asked Hajime, not sure who to expect to be the one, but he prepared himself to go in case no one wanted. Silence followed as everyone thought about the decision whether or not to go. Well, everyone as in everyone that was not named Hiyoko Saoinji, who kept pretending she was deaf. She also thought that everyone (especially Yasuhiro) was a doofus. Others saw it as an opportunity to make friends.

"….I'll go, Miss Yukizome." spoke Chiaki, quietly lifting her hand in the air and breaking the silence in the process.

"Oh, Chiaki! Glad to see a volunteer!" cheered Chisa, witnessing Chiaki stand up as her student approached her.

"You go, girl!" cheered Ibuki as she waved her arms at her. Mikan, Sonia and Hajime quietly cheered behind her as well.

"Does anyone else wanna go instead?" asked Chisa one more time before Chiaki was set to go.

"Nah, it's good." affirmed Hajime, covertly giving her a thumbs up. Chiaki saw his gesture and gave out a little smile.

"Be careful, the Thoughtful one, as you're about to step into an uncharted territory. Who knows what kind of dark forces slither there." warned Gundham from his corner.

"Uh, it's just a classroom filled with guys just like us." assured Nekomaru, crossing his arms like a proper coach.

"What might be seen might not be what it is at first glance..." continued Gundham in a mysterious tone.

"It's just a classroom, god damnit!" badgered Fuyuhiko, shaking his fist at them before Peko interfered to tell him that it is not worth losing nerves over such stuff.

"Don't worry, even if the dark forces strike, a shining light will be fiercer than ever before!" said Chiaki before she stepped outside the class, making Gundham smirk in some kind of satisfaction.

"Good luck, Chiaki!" bubbled Chisa as he waved at her like she was going somewhere very far.

"I'm not sure if she's genuinely believing it or just playing along." thought Hajime to himself.

The lassie with an eternal love for video games started walking towards the destined class, but suddenly stopped. She stood like a statue with her mind being filled with doubtful thoughts. All she could do at that moment was to stare at the floor, contemplating. Just as she was stuck, she heard footsteps coming in her general direction.

The footsteps got louder, revealing Makoto Naegi across the hallways. Chiaki lifted her head towards him, recognizing him immediately.

"Makoto?" asked Chiaki upon seeing him.

"Good morning, Chiaki!" greeted Makoto, stepping closer to her. "Were you chosen as well?"

"Well, I volunteered rather. It's gonna be fun...I think." answered Chiaki in a cheerful but calm tone. However, Makoto noticed something off about her, judging from how he saw her before.

"Is there something wrong, Chiaki?" checked Makoto, just be sure.

"Don't worry, Makoto, everything is okay..." reassured Chiaki before looking down at the floor with a tiny frown on her face. "...I just hope I do good enough and that everyone gets along..."

"You are already doing great, Chiaki! I saw people around you, how many smiles you bring them." remarked Makoto as he attempted to motivate her.

"Really?" asked Chiaki, tilting her head, unsure if its true.

"Yes! 100% Sure!" responded Makoto with a smile on his face. A smile so genuine that even the most hard headed skeptic would be convinced.

"Thanks...I'm sure that you will do great as well, Makoto." complimented Chiaki as well, making Makoto blush a little.

"T-thank you too, Chiaki." answered Makoto, still blushing.

"Were you also worried about this event?" assumed Chiaki, judging from his reacton.

"...Well...a bit. I do believe things are going to be okay, but I'm not sure what to expect. My class is already something..." admitted Makoto.

"I think it won't be much different from your class. You seem like someone who would get along easily with everyone." assured Chiaki, giving him a decent amount of hope.

"Oh? That's good to hear! However, is there anyone I should be cautious about?" piqued Makoto in order to prepare himself.

"A conversation with Hiyoko would be tough at first, she's quite mean spirited...to the point it gets really frustrating." calmly alerted Chiaki as she pouted. It was a small one, but her eyebrows signified annoyance. He was surprised to see her in such state.

"That's the little blonde girl in your class, right?" asked the boy with the ahoge, just to be sure.

"Yep, that's her. However, don't tear into her too much. Just tell her politely to stop if she goes too far." confirmed Chiaki.

"Yeah, she always seemed like one of those people….is there anyone else I should be cautious about?" further asked Makoto, thinking if there are any more cases like that.

"Nagito can sometimes act out of the ordinary. Every time he looks at his palm, he seems to be completely lost in his thoughts, but I'm sure it will be okay otherwise." she gave out another alert, but in much more relaxed tone.

"Okay then! That is relieving to hear..." said Makoto as any worries he had before dropped by a margin.

"Is there anyone I should be cautious though?" asked Chiaki just like Makoto did before.

"...Just...steer away from Byakuya. It's nearly impossible to greet him normally, let alone have a conversation with him. Feels like all he does is look down on you." warned Makoto, sounding quite exhausted from whatever thing he did with the aforementioned individual.

"Who does he think he is?" asked Chiaki, giving of a similar but not as transparent energy like when she mentioned her troublesome classmate. "There better be a good reason for it."

"Not quite sure...I do want to know what is the cause of such...demeanor of his. Yasuhiro is also….odd, if I'm honest."

"I wonder one thing…Did he really think aliens stole his burger or did he just act like it to make a fool out of Zapatta?" wondered Chiaki as she stared at the ceiling.

"Knowing him, probably the former. Not even the strangest incident that happened with him. I'm gonna be quiet about...that one." answered Makoto. "Other than that, people will likely be really excited for you. Someone is going to be really happy seeing you!"

"Someone...could it possible be…? Yeah, I think I know who it is….I think." thought Chiaki to herself as a smile appeared on her face. "Have fun, Makoto."

"You too, Chiaki!" waved Makoto as both of them went towards the directions of their destinations, now more prepared and sure enough they will do it greatly. The echoes of each student's footsteps echoed in union as they distanced themselves further, getting ever closer to the classrooms they were sent to.

Chiaki, after many echoes of her footsteps in the hallways, finally reached the entrance of Makoto's classroom. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, entering the class 78th. As soon as she took one step forward, Kiyotaka dashed forward and saluted her.

"GREETINGS, THE STUDENT OF THE CLASS 77-B! YOU HAVE NOW FORMALLY ENTERED CLASS 78TH!" introduced Kiyotaka with his booming voice, but despite practically yelling at her, Chiaki didn't even seem to be phased by him.

"Uh, Taka...I don't think you should yell at someone who just entered." cautioned Aoi Asahina.

"I humbly apologize! I just meant to introduce you to the class." apologized Kiyotaka, lowering his voice down a bit.

"It's okay. I was a little surprised...I think." responded Chiaki, relieving both Kiyotaka and Aoi in the process.

"Then there is no issue! Please make yourself at home!" welcomed Kiyotaka as Chiaki stepped closer, approaching the other students. She saw Aoi happily waving at her as she sat next to the muscular but quiet Sakura, whom just observed her. In front of them, Celeste Ludenberg sat with her legs closed as she checked her playing cards. Hifumi was next to her, intensely drawing some kind of manga about how a girl with a backpack entered a classroom unknown to her, filled with strangers. The rest of the planned content of the manga were only known by him.

"Yes! This will be a masterpiece!" thought Hifumi to himself as he continued drawing the manga with intensity.

As Chiaki kept looking around the classroom, she saw Kiyotaka returning to his table, sitting next to Mondo. It was quite a contrast in height when two of them sat together. Both of them gave a high five to each other and laughed. Chiaki smiled as she saw them hanging out before she went a little bit forward. She also saw Leon Kuwata being together with Yasuhiro Hagakare. Leon was just chilling while Yasuhiro inspected his crystal ball.

Chiaki noticed that four people were sitting alone: Sayaka, Chihiro, Kyoko and Toko. Just by the looks alone, Toko didn't wanna do anything with _anyone_ in the classroom. However, there was one person who standing on the furthest point from her: Byakuya Togami, who minded his own business with a scowl to end all scowls. Meanwhile, Kyoko was quietly contemplating, seemingly being distant from others.

"You are probably thinking where does Makoto sit, right?" predicted Sayaka.

"Yeah, a thought did pop up in my head. How did you know?" asked Chiaki, tilting her head.

"Because I am a psychic." boldly said Sayaka with determination in her look.

"Oh? Like those in RPG's?" asked Chiaki once again, moments before she would go on a gushing spree about that specific video game genre.

"Hehehe, just kidding! But yeah, he's with me!" giggled Sayaka as she managed to unknowingly stop Chiaki from hours and hours of gushing about video games. However, Chiaki was satisfied with her answer and restrained herself for now. She prepared for the gushing when the time would be right for her.

"I see…Do you two get along?" further asked Chiaki, just to be sure about her mental image of Makoto.

"Yes, of course!" confirmed Sayaka with a big smile on her face.

"That is good to hear. I'd imagined that...I think." said Chiaki before she went to the table where she wanted to sit: next to Chihiro Fujisaki.

Chihiro was busy drawing a sketch on a white A4 paper along with adding some kind of specifications. From a first glance, what Chihiro was doing was a complete mystery.

"Hey hey." greeted Chiaki as she leaned towards the busy student. Her face was a bit close to her friend.

"C-Chiaki?" stuttered Chihiro in surprise when seeing her up so close.

"Mind if I sit there?" requested Chiaki, pointing at the seat.

"Sure! I see no problem with it." approved Chihiro, offering her a seat.

"How are you today?" asked Chiaki as she turned towards her friend who was much smaller than her.

"Oh, I'm doing okay, just that I've been doing something at the moment….sorry about that reaction" apologized Chihiro, looking down as a sign of shame.

"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong." reassured Chiaki as she gave a pat on her friend's shoulder, calming down the one who was just about to cry. "I do wanna know what you're working on...Is it some kind of a program?"

"O-oh, how did you know?" asked Chihiro, being completely flustered out of surprise.

"Just assumed so...I think." answered Chiaki as she took a little peek to see what kind of content was on paper that Chihiro was sketching on.

"Well, you are correct about that, but would you mind if I tell the details about it? A-assuming that it is okay to do that…." nervously asked Chihiro, slightly trembling.

"Go ahead, I'd like to hear it. There is nothing to worry about." reassuringly replied Chiaki, giving a smile. That gave Chihiro enough a boost to talk about the subject.

"Okay!...So, um,..it's sort of a thing I do in free time, so there aren't any secrets or anything, but did you ever hear about those robots that seem really human at times?" Chihiro started explaining.

"Yeah, they often appear in games I play, mostly in space adventures." added Chiaki as she started thinking. Her cheeky became really puffy every time she had to think.

"Well….I'm basically making a prototype of "the mind" that these robots have. It's more of a warm up than anything. A basis for the future, if that sounds right." further explained Chihiro, getting calmer by each moment.

"Artificial intelligence? That sounds cool!" asked Chiaki, getting an idea to what is her friend referring to.

"Yes, it's that! It's not gonna be anything complex for now, so..." cautioned Chihiro as self doubt started to engulf.

"That's okay. As long as you believe yourself that you're gonna do it, things will turn out good." said Chiaki, halting rise of self doubt within her friend.

"...R-really?" questioned Chihiro while sweating in anxiety.

"Of course. I believe in you. I believe you're gonna make the best programs out there." reassured Chiaki with a smile on her face. She also gave Chihiro a headpat, gently touching the hair of her friend.

"...T-thank you, Chiaki..." thanked Chihiro, smiling despite slightly tearing up. "I will do my best, I promise."

However, soon they turned around and saw that nearly everyone (notable exception being Byakuya Togami) faced them, curious about what were they talking about. Chihiro's face became cherry red from being flustered while Chiaki just tilted her head in curiosity. Sayaka was both smiling and giggling when she saw two of them together just having a conversation.

"S-so, how are you, Chiaki? Is everything going well?" asked Chihiro, worrying that she might not have been enjoying her time there.

"I am doing good. There is something I wanna show that you guys might like." said Chiaki as she reached for her backpack, searching through it.

"What do you have?" asked Kiyotaka, grabbing his chin in curiosity.

"This." replied Chiaki as she pulled out a pink handheld console along with a similar purple handheld. "I always bring a backup just in case if anyone wants to play."

"WHAT?! It's a console! Are those even permitted in the school environment?!" shouted Kiyotaka in surprise after seeing the machination in her hand.

"Pretty sure they're fine, as long as you don't disrupt class with them….like donuts!" elaborated Aoi Asahina before she got a craving of the delicious donuts. "..Hey, how long is it until the break? My tummy is now desperate for some donuts..."

"In about an hour and forty five minutes." answered Sakura, cheering her friend by a margin.

"I..I see!" stuttered Kiyotaka, toning down his will of law and order in the classroom.

"...Next time, I should have brought a home console...I think." lamented Chiaki, taking a mental note for the future.

"Oh, that's cool!" praised Sayaka as she took a look at the devices Chiaki brought in.

"Hmmm…." thought Celestia before turning away from the group.

"Is there something wrong, Celeste?" checked Chiaki on her to see what was the cause of such reaction.

"I will not disrupt your fun, but virtual games are not my forte." admitted Celestia Ludenberg to her face.

"Oh...Do you prefer something like board games?" questioned Chiaki, to see if she could also make Celeste happy.

"Funny that you say "board games", but I personally prefer games with...high stakes, if I may." continued Celestia Ludenberg.

"High stakes? Like...what would you consider?" piqued Chiaki.

"….Stakes that determine whether or not you'll see another day." clarified Celestia as she gave her a cold look in her eyes, slightly unsettling her.

"You...shouldn't play with your life like that…." advised Chiaki, concerned about her statements.

"Who are you to dictate someone's decisions?" suddenly threatened Celestia Ludenberg as if Chiaki managed to tick her off. Chihiro tried to hide behind Chiaki because of Ludenberg's reaction.

"Uh, Celeste, keep it cool." warned Aoi, trying to defuse any incoming arguments. 

"I...didn't want to sound like I was commanding you...but you could endanger yourself like that." elaborated Chiaki, still being concerned about her.

"Hehehe...Concerned for someone's life...How quaint. Perhaps you just don't see the thrill of it...which is fine by me." said Celestia with a smile on her face. However, the smile of hers felt distant as if something was wrong with it.

"As if she was implying that I am capable of losing..Bah!" thought Celestia Ludenberg to herself, feeling slightly riled up.

"No one's life should be constantly threatened..." thought Chiaki to herself after having a discussion with the enigmatic but extravagant girl.

"C-can we just...I don't know, play games now?" pleaded Sayaka as her skin suddenly became pale.

"Yeah, dude. It would be good to not get stressed right now." added Mondo.

"Definitely. Who would like to play first?" approved Chiaki as she lifted one of her consoles in order to show it to everyone.

"...I-I would like to, please." requested Chihiro, meekly lifting the arm to signify the demand. Chiaki, without a hesitation, gave out the console. Both of them booted up and started playing a game together. The game in question was some kind of a kart racing game, the one where it is easy to increase your desire to break something. However, it seemed like

"I must be after Chihiro! I will show you the true skills of a master!" boasted Hifumi as he gave out a request, fixing his glasses on his stout face.

And so Chiaki Nanami and most of the class 78th played games on her handheld devices. At times, Chiaki became so focused in playing

Meanwhile at the time when one of their students went on a venture to the other class, the students of class 77-B were waiting for the incoming candidate from the other class.

"So, did anyone hear about that car accident from yesterday? I thought it was rather strange..." announced Nekomaru in a rather contemplative tone.

"Yeah, it was all over the news. Thank goodness there were no casualties..." replied Mahiru, clenching her fist to her chest.

"Heard that the fella who got hit by a car was sent flying. He went like "BAM! WHEEEEZE! Wo-wo-wo-woooosh! Aaaah I'm blasting off again!" or...was that another case with the rocket?" added Ibuki, thinking whether or not she had a right accident (or incident) in her mind.

"Let us hope that such accidents happen less frequently." said Sonia, expressing a similar concern as Mahiru.

"….About that car accident…." suddenly interjected Nagito, raising his finger. Entire class' attention focused on him, expecting his statements on the matter.

"Yeah?" asked Mahiru.

"...I was the one who got hit by a car." revealed Nagito, smiling about it. However, the entire class was stunned not only because of what he said, but also because how nonchalant was he about it.

"W-wait what?!" stuttered Mahiru as her entire hair became scruffy from sheer surprsie.

"Yep, though the news didn't cover the full story." added Nagito just before he was accidentally cut out by other students.

"You're bullshitting! There's no way!" denied Fuyuhiko, shaking his fist at him.

"Oh, I've got just enough proof about my involvement." retaliated Nagito, still with a smile on his face as he revealed a rather noticeable bruise on his right leg. He also pulled out some of the leaves and tiny branches that were stuck in his hair for the rest of yesterday. "Anyway, about the story..."

"A-are you okay? D-do you need treatment?" interjected Mikan as she rushed off towards the injured white haired boy.

"Nah, it's fine. Nothing too major happened...not that you need to be concerned." denied Nagito, making signals with his hands that the situation is nothing out of the ordinary.

"O-okay..." sighed Mikan as she returned to her table.

"Just like Ibuki said, I was sent flying in the sky. Then I landed on a tree and I was stuck for quite some time...but then I've found a magpie's nest nearby. Something was shiny there, so I decided to pick it up and what do you know….sixty thousand and one yen was there!" happily continued Nagito, bringing up six 10 000 banknotes and a singular 1 coin of the mentioned currency.

"...Wha?" was the word that went through the entire class.

"Eh, it was just luck. Then the branches broke and I fell down on the ground. My back still hurts a little." continued Nagito as he attempted to stretch his back, only for him to feel the pain. Nagito Komaeda regretted that idea.

"...How tall was the tree you were stuck on?" questioned Sonia, desiring more details about the story.

"About 10m, I believe, though I don't remember well." answered Nagito, thinking whether or not he gave out accurate information.

"How were you just sent flying like that? It doesn't seem like it makes sense!" questioned Mahiru with her hair nearly getting scruffy again.

"I...jumped at the wrong time." revealed Nagito, seemingly kind of embarrassed about that fact.

"Wait, you jumped on the road? What the hell were you thinking at that moment?!" lashed out Mahiru with her shaking hand pointing at him.

"I would understand the scolding but there is also another detail I forgot to mention: I was on the sidewalk." clarified Nagito, seemingly not minding Mahiru's critique.

"Then...I take my words back...Sorry, Nagito..." apologized Mahiru, backing away from her claims.

"This is gonna sound weird but what kind of car hit you? It was told in the report that car had no signs of any damage whatsoever!" suddenly asked Kazuichi.

"It was a Volvo." said Nagito.

"V-Volvo? Hah! I knew it!" Kazuichi pretended to know beforehand.

"What kind of sick life does Nagito have that he gets both nearly killed in an accident and get rich within a same day?" thought Hajime to himself after hearing the everything he needed.

Suddenly, there was knocking on the door, focusing the entire attention of the class towards it.

"Alert! Alert! A student of class 78th arrive shortly!" cautioned Ibuki as if they were on a runway.

"Hmmm...I wonder who could it be?" wondered Sonia.

"The one about to enter this realm is on a threshold of a life shattering experience." forebode Gundham, crossing his arms as he looked at the door with an ominous glance.

"Perhaps it may be-" assumed Teruteru before he stopped him self as he looked both left and right like either a paranoid jaywalker or a thief looking at the corners of the corridors.

"What the hell was that?" asked Fuyuhiko, spotting the behavior of the chef.

"O-oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" denied Teruteru of any suspicion.

"Are you sure? You looked real fucking shady there." persuaded Fuyuhiko.

"Well….lets say I'm gonna give it a try." said Teruteru as he tried to finish his sentence from before. "Perhaps it may be one hell of a sexy gi-"

Suddenly, as it were given sentience, the chair propelled itself backwards, crashing with a considerable force. While no bones were broken, Teruteru's back felt the hit quite well.

"GORDON RAMSAY!" yelled the chef, feeling the full impact.

His classmates reacted in shock after witnessing one of their classmates being "attacked" by the unassuming chair.

"T-teru, are you alright?" Mikan immediately rushed towards him to see if he's alright.

"Yeah….though this is something has happened before! What is all this stuff about?!" questioned Teruteru before he picked himself up, placing the chair in the original position.

"So, let me get this straight….you got cock-blocked by the furniture?" asked Hiyoko on the verge of having a stroke because of laughter.

"...What?!"

The entire classroom was left in silence, trying to comprehend from what just they have heard...except for Hiyoko, who was rolling on the floor because of laughter.

"This is a statement I never thought I would hear neither do I want to hear it ever again." said Hajime, being completely dumbfounded by what he just heard. However, the event was overshadowed by another set of much meeker knocks on the door.

"Come in!" invited Mahiru as the student from class 78th opened the door. It was Makoto Naegi, looking both unsure and stunned, probably because of what he heard from inside.

"...What just happened and what was that about Gordon Ramsay?"

"Nothing to worry about, I assure you that." explained Hajime to him before inviting him in the class. "Also, hey Makoto!"

The class warmly greeted Makoto (except Hiyoko, who was being Hiyoko) as he stepped in. There were some comparisons between him and Hajime (former often being called either "Baby Hajime" or "Hajime's little brother, much to his embarrassment), but overall, as soon as Makoto became adjusted to the atmosphere of the class, many fun times were had.

Meanwhile, the lunch break was about to come in the class 78th. In the interval of time between her arrival to the end of the first half of the day, they were busy playing video games. Those who have wanted to play video games got their wish fulfilled. As they noticed that their time is running out, Chiaki packed her consoles back in her backpack.

"Man, I got totally owned…." lamented Hifumi, feeling completely defeated after playing a match against Chiaki.

"Did you have fun, Hifumi?" asked Chiaki.

"Of course! But I assure you, when we have rematch, I will be in a stronger form!" responded Hifumi, fixing his glasses. His response made Chiaki smile, knowing that she made quite a decent chunk of the people happy.

"Ooh, it's that time!" cheered Aoi Asahina, already imagining her trademark favorite food being consumed.

"IT IS OFFICIALLY LUNCH TIME!" announced Kiyotaka with his booming voice as he raised his fist in the air. The students who were in class now left it completely. Aoi and Sakura were one of the first people to exit the class while Chiaki was one of the last ones.

Or so she thought.

"There is something that needs to be discussed." said the girl in a black jacket with a long lavender hair, who halted Chiaki from leaving at that moment.

"Ah, Kyoko! What do you want to talk about?" asked Chiaki after being startled by her. Kyoko just silently left the classroom, but Chiaki managed to catch her clue and followed her. They walked together far behind from others as their footsteps echoed through out the hallways.

"You have heard about the missing spoons, is that correct?" asked Kyoko Kirigiri.

"Yes, Teruteru told me about it...I think." responded Chiaki like someone would expect her to respond.

"You speak with uncertainty in your voice." noted Kyoko, glancing over her. Chiaki felt like she said something wrong at that moment. "Anyway, while this case has been rather inane so far, there are few things that bother me about it."

"Like why would someone steal all of the spoons?" added Chiaki, after thinking about it for a prolonged amount of time.

"Indeed. I question the motive of such act, which makes perpetrator seem more unknown." said Kyoko while still thinking about the case.

"Oh, it's like in those detective games, where you have to find out who the culprit is." compared Chiaki Nanami to one of her recently played games about a defense attorney yelling in the court. There was something about updated autopsy reports as well in it.

"You should not base your knowledge on fiction. It does not give an accurate representation most of the time." cautioned Kyoko, giving her a look of disapproval.

"Right...sorry about that." apologized Chiaki as she put on her hood out of slight shame.

After some time, they have arrived to the kitchen, which was in the same state as yesterday. While the surroundings were quite clean, it still lacked a major component: the spoons. Kyoko brought up a hammer and an ultraviolet light with her. Chiaki started to observe her, wondering what would she do.

"Before we start searching for footprints, there is something that might have given off a clue just when I left the scene." explained Kyoko before she gave the UV light to Chiaki and stepped forward, looking down on the tiles. She crouched down and touched a few of the tiles in order for her to see any oddities. For the most part, the tiles remained stationary, but then she reached a file that budged. Upon realizing that she couldn't fully open the tile, she smashed it with her hammer, breaking it into the pieces. They fell down the hole, but Kyoko managed to catch a piece with the locking mechanism on it. Chiaki stepped in closer as well to see what did Kyoko discover.

"This...was not expected." pointed out Kyoko as she inspected the piece with the locking mechanism. Chiaki inspected the piece as well before crouching down to see the hole. The pieces weren't visible with the naked eye.

"That tile must have been a door for the tunnel over here." suggested Chiaki after observing both clues.

"It seems so, but how could the perpetrator use the tunnel for infiltrating the kitchen?" commented Kyoko after coming to a conclusion that the hole was a tunnel. "Chiaki, give me the light. I would request you to turn of the kitchen's light as well."

Chiaki did exactly as Kyoko told her to and shut down kitchen's light while Kyoko turned on her UV light. What once was covered with white light was now illuminated by the purple light. Looking around the kitchen, she saw something on the floor that completely caught her off guard.

_The footprints of birds. __An entire clutter of them, __leading from tunnel to the drawer where the spoons were. _

"Birds?" questioned Kyoko upon seeing the scene. Her irises shrunk from surprise for a moment.

"Is..is this the truth of this case?" asked Chiaki, unsure what was she witnessing.

"There are some birds that do dig tunnels and magpies are prone to stealing shiny objects, but I don't quite think they are capable of an organized thievery with the quantity of stolen items as this" said Kyoko, trying to formulate the outcome of the case. "Not to mention the motive of such act...What could it be?"

"Perhaps the birds were something extraordinary...I think?" assumed Chiaki, staring in the ceiling to prepare a back up idea.

"For sure….but what kind of birds were they?" asked Kyoko Kirigi amid the mess.

Meanwhile, under the Hope's Peak academy, penguins were continuing digging tunnels for their base. Unlike the clean interior of Hope's Peak academy, the ground was coarse but soft. They continued using the spoons from the kitchen, operating them in a fast manner. Suddenly, Private's spoon hit an unknown object, bending in half in the process.

"Darn you, rocks! Why must you be placed right here?!" cursed Private upon the sight of spoon bending.

"Rico! Another one!" ordered Skipper as he pointed at his colleague. Rico did as Skipper told him and threw a spoon to Private, who caught it just perfectly and continued digging the base.

"Kowalski, progress report!" requested Skipper as he turned towards the tall avian.

"20% of the whole base finished. Tunnels are complete, but the main coarse has yet to be done: the rooms." reported Kowalski as he kept digging with the spoon.

"That's a number I can go with it! Not to mention, we are coming to the best part." boasted the leading avian.

"Uh, Skipper. There is something that's been on my mind." admitted Private, pausing the digging for a bit.

"What is it, Private?" asked Skipper.

"Do you think they'll find out about the "shovels"?" noted Private as he glanced over to the spoons.

"Private, Private, you just worry too much. The "shovels" will be returned in no time. They won't even notice it." responded Skipper, thinking that the current situation was just a piece of cake.

"I do see his concerns under one condition." interrupted Kowalski for him to support Private's concerns.

"What is that condition, Kowalski?" questioned Skipper, wanting to hear his brother-in-arms' reasoning.

"What if some of the students are yakuza members? Not saying that they are, but it could be a possibility." Kowalski raised a point, making Skipper reconsider his words.

"...Right. Change of plans, boys." declared Skipper as the penguin boys gathered around him as if they were soldier waiting for the words of their general.

"We will postpone the base building at 22:00. Instead, we will commence Operation Stockpile Pelican. We will find the nearest warehouse of some store and obtain them shovels. We have only one hour of looting, the base won't wait for us...and so won't _they._" briefed Skipper as his colleagues listened to his words.

"They?" piqued Private, unsure to what he meant to.

"_Them_, Private. _Them_." referred Skipper in a rather cautious tone before he returned to his position. "Any more questions?"

"How many of the shovels bent so far? I've kind of lost count."

"Kowalski, this is your time to answer!" commanded Skipper, pointing at his colleague again.

"About 50, Sir." answered Kowalski.

"50? Darn…looks like we gotta snatch a whole package. For now, we continue building our base until the determined time." said Skipper before they returned to their work, setting themselves to make as much progress as they could.

Meanwhile above the surface, Chiaki left the kitchen after getting Kyoko's permission to take a break and get some food. She went to the dining room and arrived to the table where Hajime, Chihiro, Makoto, Ibuki and others were. When she sat down, she brought up a sandwich consisting of two slices of toast with strawberry jam spread over them. Suddenly, after taking one bite of the sandwich, her head tilted as her eyes tried to close by themselves.

"I'm sleepy…..good night..." yawned Chiaki before her eyes completely shut and fell in a deep sleep while sitting. She put absolutely no resistance against sleep.

"Wait, Chiaki!..." tried Hajime to wake her up but alas, he was too late. He, among the others, was astonished at how she could just fall asleep like that while she was sitting perfectly still.

"Awww, such a cutie pie~." fawned Ibuki as she watched Chiaki sleep with her sparkling eyes. They had to eat as Chiaki quietly snored during her sleep.

Completing their meal, the students had to return to the classes already. Hajime with the help of Ibuki (even though Hajime could do the job just fine, Ibuki volunteered for….reasons) lifted the sleeping Chiaki and carried her to the class. Everyone else left the dining room as well, returning to their respective classes.

But not before Fuyuhiko and Peko, who were one of the last ones to exit the place, stopped and looked back as they heard some kind of footsteps. They witnessed someone with a large stature (in both height and width) carrying a table before placing it near the place where students could get their own food.

"Fuyuhiko, is there something wrong?" asked Peko.

"Let me check something. I'll be back soon." said Fuyuhiko before going to the man behind the table. Peko waited for him outside of the dining room. As he went closer, it was revealed that the man behind those actions was none other than Figottoni, dressed in a fancy white suit and wearing a pitch black tie.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" badgered Fuyuhiko, slamming his fist on the table.

"I am setting up a bar." calmly said Figottoni as he cleaned a glass.

"...Are you trying to sell some alcoholic shit or something?" accused Fuyuhiko, sounding even angrier than before.

"Alcoholic beverages are strongly prohibited not only by school's rules, but by my own personal principles as well. I have always served only non-alcoholic drinks through out my entire life." elaborated Figottoni while keeping the same calm tone of his voice.

"...I see, but why are you trying to set up a bar here?" Fuyuhiko raised another question with his anger toned down a bit.

"This institute's priority is to maximize the development of talent, yes?" asked Figottoni, putting the cleaned glass on the table.

"From what I've heard, yes….at least this course does." answered Fuyuhiko in a much calmer voice.

"They say I am one of the Ultimates, but I will always be just a simple bartender." said Figottoni before getting an additional glass to clean.

"Aren't you that guy who hangs out with that rockstar fucker and Suifta as well?" questioned Fuyuhiko while reminding himself about the "incident" with Zapatta and his class.

"Indeed I am. I apologize for the any trouble caused by Zapatta, he can be quite unpredictable even in his friend circle." apologized Figottoni, seemingly out of formality.

"You ain't done shit, though. In fact, who the hell are you even?" perplexed Fuyuhiko.

"My name is Figottoni and I am a student of your age from Italy. I was born in Neaples. My home is one of the most beautiful places on the world, but I have been invited here, in Japan. While I do like it a lot here, as it is quite clean and modern, I do miss the classic architecture of my country." introduced Figottoni himself to him. Hearing that he's the same age as him caused Fuyuhiko to flinch, considering that the Italian man looked much, much older than him just by appearance alone.

"Wait, _you're young?_ The fuck?! Prove it!" demanded Fuyuhiko, shaking his fist at him.

"Here is my identity card. It has all the information you need." offered Figottoni, revealing his European Union approved identity card with the info about the name, surname, sex, date of birth, nationality, date of expiration and holder's signature on it.

"Alright then….so you're like Sonia then." said Fuyuhiko, convinced by his card.

"Perhaps…Anyway, would you like a drink?" asked Figottoni, being ready to serve and perform his job.

"...Just water. That will be enough" calmly requested Fuyuhiko. The bartender student filled up the clean glass with fresh water. Quickly finishing his job, Figottoni gave the glass to Fuyuhiko. Out of a sudden, a fellow classmate of his entered the dining hall and sat next to him. It was, much to his surprise, "Ryota Mitarai", whom instead of looking shy as he initially did, he had a rather determined frown on his face.

"Wait, where did you come from?" questioned Fuyuhiko out of bewilderment.

"Just because I don't speak much does not mean I do not exist." said "Ryota" in a much deeper voice, surprising Fuyuhiko even more. However, he remained quiet as he took a sip of water.

"You're not a trusting person, aren't you?" "Ryota" raised a question to him.

"No shit there." scoffed Fuyuhiko, thinking that the classmate's response was way too obvious.

"Good. Keep an eye on everyone here. The only thing worth trusting is food." approved "Ryota", causing even more mixed feelings for Fuyuhiko. His gut feeling was telling him that "Ryota" could be right. Figottoni thought about "Ryota's" statements as well.

"Bartender, I would like a mixture of lemonade and peach ice tea, please." requested "Ryota", raising his finger.

"Understood." affirmed Figottoni, preparing the drink that he request. Out of a sudden once again, another student arrived to the "bar". It was none other than the really buff girl with long white hair Sakura, who quietly sat down next to Fuyuhiko as well. It appeared that Peko showed her the path to the bar. He was a little startled thanks to her stature, but both "Ryota" and Figottoni behaved like they normally do.

"I would like a protein mix, please." requested Sakura as she crossed her arms. Figottoni, just like before, prepared another drink for his "customers".

"Fuyuhiko, I have noticed something." noted Sakura, catching Fuyuhiko's attention.

"What is it?" asked Fuyuhiko as if he didn't want to have any sort of conversation.

"Every time you are with Peko, you are much more relaxed." Sakura explained herself.

"...I won't go in the detail about it." blurted out Fuyuhiko in defense.

"That's fine. However, I get a feeling that your experience here will be much better if you give others a chance. Trust is the key of not only relaxation, but happiness." continued Sakura with a smile on her face, hoping that Fuyuhiko might see school in a different way.

"I see points in both positions, but I think my opinion aligns more with Sakura's. With enough trust, even the most unlikely of people will get on your side. Humans are like that after all." added Figottoni.

"...I will think about it." said Fuyuhiko, having even more mixed feelings than before.

"Still, be cautious. You never know what could happen." warned "Ryota", still insisting on his advice. However, the time until they classes resumed was running low.

"Alright then, I think it is time to visit your classes. I'll be here as a part of the programme I was given to. I hope you all have a nice day." said Figottoni before all of his customers finished drinks, stood up and left the dining room for real. The bartender cleaned up not only his "bar", but also the entire dining room as well.

Even more time passed on. Class 77-B's and class 78th's day of Hope's Peak was coming to a conclusion. Both Chiaki and Makoto had to return to their respective classes. Just like in the early hours, they met each other in the hall once again.

"Hey hey, Makoto. How was your day?" asked Chiaki when she met him. She was filled with an unusual amount of energy after she left the class.

"It was honestly pretty good! We did a lot of fun stuff together, including having a concert of some kind, thanks to Ibuki. I see you are...pretty excited today, aren't you?" said Makoto, while also noticing her enthusiasm.

"Yes! We played so many games today that I've almost lost count!...and they were having a lot of fun too, as well. I'm glad that you've had fun, Makoto. I hope you get more time with my class." cheered Chiaki, pumping her fists.

"I'm glad you were happy with my class as well. Was a little worried before but...seeing you now, all worries went away!" admitted Makoto. Hearing that made Chiaki even happier.

"That's good!..I think." praised Chiaki as they gave each other a high five. "I wish this day lasted a little longer...it did go so quickly.

"Well, tomorrow is a new day, right?" reassured Makoto.

"You're right. Lets make tomorrow as fun as today...but we gotta depart right now." said Chiaki before each of them said their goodbyes for the day. "See you, Makoto."

"Goodbye, Chiaki." responded Makoto as they waved at each other when they departed.

The evening soon arrived as another day of Hope's Peak ended. The students grouped with each other and went their own ways to their homes. Inside the school, Chisa Yukizome was watching them depart with a smile on the face, but with a rather somber look in her eyes. She slowly waved at them as they distanced from the school.

"Whew...I've had a lot of trouble organizing this event...Convincing the headmaster was just rough, but in the end, it was worth it! I just wish there were more days like this..." thought Chisa to herself, feeling not quite well until she decided to cheer herself up.

"Well, tomorrow is another day!" bubbled Chisa as she hit herself on the chest to motivate herself. Unfortunately, she hit herself a little too hard.

"...Owie..."

The day was truly over….or was it?

22:00, Yenostore all-in market warehouse, [REDACTED], Japan.

The block shaped gray warehouse was rusting off somewhere in the city. Although large, it had a rather simplistic design. It contained large dark gray garage doors among with smaller doors for the personnel. The building's source of external light were a few rectangle shaped windows. Below the windows were some shelves. Inside of the warehouse, it was filled with boxes that contained various amount of objects, from tools to toys, lined up in the lines. Each object was placed in the appropriate sectors of the warehouse. Despite the amount of material goods stored, there were no traces of any living being inside...at that time. The warehouse seemed to be closed from outside.

Suddenly, a smaller rectangle was shaped on one of the windows was drawn with some kind of razor. Once the rectangle was finished, it was removed, leaving a gap in the window.

The penguins jumped in through the gap, clinging on their ropes that dropped through it as well. They landed on the floor after descending from the window and turned on their flashlights.

"We have arrived on our destination, Sir." reported Kowalski, starting to inspect the surroundings with his flashlights.

"Well boys, we got an hour and a half to find them shovels. Make haste!" commanded Skipper as all of them started sliding down on the floor while going through the hallways filled with darkness and boxes. Skipper inspected the line one, where he found boxes with tools for garage, Kowalski went through the line two, where he found lights, the classic and LED ones while Rico inspected line three, where he found boxes that stored boxes and Private went through the line four, where he found boxes full of alcoholic beverages.

After minutes of inspecting, Skipper found something that caught his eye: culinary sector. Observing the boxes, he quickly found the thing they were searching for: the spoons.

"Jackpot, baby!" triumphantly shouted Skipper as other penguins arrived to him as if he gave them a signal. Without a question, Rico gave Skipper a boost when the latter jumped in the air and grabbed the handle of the box, pulling it with all of his strength midair. It revealed that it was a set of 100 Ultimate-quality made spoons, covered in a fancy cover that showed silvery culinary.

"Bombs away!" warned Skipper as the set was dropped while he fell with it at the same time. The penguins moved away from the predicted impact zone of the box, avoiding being damaged in the process. Both the box and Skipper landed safely with him hitting the floor right on the feet.

"Well done, gentlemen! We did it in 6 minutes and 27 seconds! Close to the record, but still a good score!" praised Skipper as they gave each other high fives. Suddenly, Private halted as he realized something.

"Wait, wouldn't it be easier if we were just to buy them?" pointed out Private, pausing the celebration for a bit.

"Don't worry about it, Private. This was a financially safe option, even though we have more than enough money, thanks to our sales with the circus, North Wind assets and that set of golden teeth." proudly elaborated Kowalski before he turned towards Skipper with some level of grudge. "...which I still think was a long term poor decision and we should have bought Airbus A380 instead."

"Kowalski, I know that was a reckless decision, but I did think of a compensation. We're gonna get a 747, just for you!" Skipper attempted to cheer up his comrade.

"The Airbus A380 is a revolutionary aircraft with unrivaled size in the commercial aircraft department and quality exceeding even company's own products." argued Kowalski with him making gestures as if he was having a presentation.

"But 747 is American." retaliated Skipper, trying to look as cool as possible. "And that's what it matters. Queen of the skies, after all."

"Its comfort levels are the best in the world!" Kowalski raised another argument for the largest airliner in the world.

"You know what they say, Kowalski. If you ain't with the yoke, then you ain't woke." quipped Skipper, crossing his arms in the process.

"If you don't support the stick, then do it with your own-" sassed Kowalski before he was interrupted.

"I think we should get a Cessna instead. It should be the most reliable and all of us would fit in comfortably as well." interjected Private with his opinion.

"Private, my boy, we already patched up a busted up Super Electra, a fresh airliner is gonna be no trouble. Remember, there are two ways of living life: the boring one and the fun one and I'm choosing the fun one!" Skipper shared his word of wisdom with the youngest member of the team.

"Arghhh..." protested Rico at the idea of owning a civilian aircraft.

"And what is your suggestion then, Rico?" asked Skipper.

"Uuuuhh…..NYEOOOOW BOOM BOOM BOOM KABOOMA KABOOMA HAHAHAHA!" imitated Rico as he ran in circles, pretending that he is one of the bomber aircraft. During his imitation, he jumped in the air, pretending to drop bombs (free-fall ones probably) on the imagined adversary. It was the closest a penguin ever came to achieve flight on its own.

"Kowalski, translation!" demanded Skipper after witnessing Rico's act.

"I think Rico wants...one of the Fortresses?" assumed Kowalski after making some sketches on the notepad, each of them resembling the bombers that shared "fortress" in their names.

"Nuh uh! Bone!" clarified Rico...in his own way. Skipper and Kowalski were surprised but at the same time not.

"First of all, Lancer's an active service aircraft! We can't just snatch it without everyone chasing down our rears!" reminded Skipper.

"Awww…." lamented Rico after having his fantasy of carpet bombing crushed.

"Second of all, we better hurry up. Sooner we make the base, the better!" said Skipper as he lifted the box with the help of Rico and Private. However, Kowalski glanced around at the other boxes and saw a blender there. That, along with Skipper's sayings, gave him an idea.

"Gentlemen, go ahead of me. I'll be back soon." announced Kowalski as he jumped towards the blender and went his own way. The other penguins ran towards the rope as fast as they could with them carrying the box. While not as fast as sliding on the floor, the penguins quickly arrived to their dropping point. Rico climbed on the rope and went through the window. Skipper and Private tied the box with the rope and then they jumped above the box, holding on the rope. As if he knew, Rico started pulling the rope to himself, lifting the box and his colleagues at the same time. The gap was just the right size as the box seamlessly slipped through it, landing on the shelf along with the penguins.

After their first task was completed, Rico threw the rope through the gap once again as they waited for Kowalski. Not much time passed when Kowalski arrived on the location with his own fulfilled "shopping list": a blender, four wheels, a generator, an actual (but small) shovel, a bunch of screws and a decent amount of "super" glue.

"And what are you gonna do with that?" asked Skipper upon witnessing Kowalski's catch.

"Well, Skipper, lets say the construction of our base should be accelerated rapidly." boasted Kowalski as he had a huge confident grin on his face.

Meanwhile, the night has fallen on Hope's Peak academy. In the halls, there was just an old janitor, cleaning and humming the songs of his. He was happily sweeping the floor with his broom as it was the meaning of life.

Suddenly, he heard a quite loud noise coming from the air ducts. The janitor glanced over to the air ducts, but shrugged off and continued cleaning the halls.

But what was that noise?


	4. He Has Come

_Author's note: Every now and then, cats visit me. They often wait outside, either standing with their raised paw or they become loaves as they stare me right in the eyes._

"_**GIVE ME ****THE**** SAUSAGE!**" they often demand. Fortunately for them, I always serve them a salami or ham or whatever I have in the fridge for them. Cats absolutely love to munch sausages and demand even more. Once they get their bones back in them, they go on the adventures that cats seem to love to have. However, not all cats want sausage. Some of them just love to roll around on the window. _

The day at Hope's Peak academy started off the same as the every other day did before. Each class in the academy prepared themselves to carry out the given schedule. Unlike yesterday, there were no special events planned in advance. The first hour of the school's day went normally. However, just when the class 77-B was set to eat some food, Chisa went in the same direction as them as well, searching for someone.

"Mikaaaaaan!" called out Chisa in the same sense as if she was looking for a kid who got lost in the store. Hearing the calls of her teacher, Mikan, completely startled, stopped on her tracks and turned back. She approached her teacher like a little mouse, already imagining how is she going to be yelled at.

"Y-yes, Miss Yukizome? I-is there something I did?" asked Mikan Tsumiki, shaking like a leaf from feeling anxious.

"I would like to ask you to help me with something? It's gonna be something really cool!" requested Chisa in her usual peppy tone, but it still came as a surprise for the trembling nurse.

"O-oh? W-well….I can try. I w-will try my best..." sputtered Mikan, trembling a little less than before.

"Okiee! You are gonna do your best, there is no worries about it!" chirped Chisa as she tapped Mikan's shoulder, calming her down.

"...T-thanks, Miss Yukizome..." smiled Mikan, but not before shedding a tear or two. They went together, separated from others, down the hallway. As they were walking towards their goal, even though they were walking at the same pace, Chisa was skipping happily like a bunny while Mikan was meekly walking on her toes. The nurse's walk barely even made a noise compared to the one performed by her teacher.

Upon arriving to the fifth floor of Hope's Peak academy, the girl went towards the biology lab. As they went inside, they found two shallow plastic boxes without covers. Inside of the boxes were pots filled with soil. Seedlings of various flowers, most notably daisies, were peeking out of them, preparing to start their new lives. Chisa picked up one of the boxes, spreading her much as much as possible to fully grab the box.

"Mikan, can you grab the other box, pretty please?" asked Chisa, pointing at the remaining box with pots.

"O-okay." responded Mikan as she rushed off to the box and grabbed it in the similar manner as her teacher did. Her arms trembled as she gave out all the power she could make in lifting that box.

"You're gonna do it, Mikan!" cheered Chisa, motivating Mikan even further. After hearing her teacher's words, Mikan used more of her strength to gain balance in holding the box. The trembling of her arms stopped, gaining the full control of the box. Mikan happily smiled before both of them went outside of the lab, preparing themselves to set for another walk through out the school.

"What are we gonna do with them, Miss Yukizome?" asked Mikan with her box.

"Oh, we're gonna plant some flowers outside of school. It's gonna be much livelier that way! Would also join planting them?" explained Chisa before inviting her.

"Y-yes! Flowers are nice…feels l-lovely around them, right?" approved Mikan before doubts inside her head attempted to overtake her mind.

"Very much so! Not just lovely, but astonishingly lovely!" confirmed Chisa, defeating Mikan's doubts. After their little chat, both of them started walking downstairs. The nurse lassie slowed down her pace, taking a tiny step on each stair in order for her to not trip and potentially destroy all pots.

"Y-you can get ahead of me, Miss Yukizome…I'll...take a while." quietly cautioned Mikan as she went with her own pace down the stairs.

"Roger that! Just be safe, okay?" assured Chisa as she went her own way.

"O-okay..." whispered Mikan to herself as she continued going downstairs. Fourth floor of Hope's Peak academy was reached without any sort of tripping, so she kept the pace. Third floor didn't gave her much trouble either, but she nearly tripped on her way to the second floor. Mikan Tsumiki barely managed to maintain balance after the near trip, but she managed to step on the second floor successfully. She took even more precaution when preparing herself to go downstairs with the box next time.

First floor or known as the destination to her, was right in front of her sight. The only obstacle remaining for her were the last stairs. Taking an even slower pace than before, she went downstairs, step on the stair after a step. After enduring the (self imposed) test of balance, she finally reached the ground floor. She hopped a little from happiness over the fact that she managed to do it and went forward. Suddenly...

"Hello there!" greeted the pompous voice out of somewhere, startling Mikan in the process.

"U-uwaaah! W-who called?" asked Mikan as she was still in the status of shock. Nurse girl put down the box just in case. She looked around to see the source of the voice.

"Over here!" guided the voice with a slight bit of accent, turning her attention towards some shelf in the hall. Upon seeing the origin of the voice, she couldn't believe what she saw with her own eyes.

A golden octopus, posing as if he wanted to be drawn like one of the french girls.

"A-a-an o-octopus?!" she yelped upon seeing the cephalopod laying in front of her.

"I'm Herman. Today is a nice day!" casually greeted the octopus. His "nice" sounded more like "niche", thanks to his accent.

"Y-you can talk a-and breathe air?" stuttered Mikan as her arm trembled while pointing at him.

"No problemo! Anyway, what's up? I'm just chilling like always." said Herman, remaining in the same pose as before.

"W-well, Miss Yukizome and I are going to plant some pretty flowers. The outside of school is gonna be full of them, so that everyone can feel good when they come here." explained Mikan, feeling somewhat flustered about it.

"That's nice." responded Herman.

"It is! Anyway, I think I have to go now. I c-can't let Miss Yukizome wait for much long. S-sorry for ending it so soon." apologized Mikan before she tried to return to the box.

"I have one thing to say, though." declared Herman, making her stop as she turned towards him.

"Huh? Is there something wrong?" asked Mikan, slightly startled from his words.

"..."

"_**SAY HASTA LA PASTA TO YOUR ASS, FUCKER**_!" shouted Herman as he suddenly leaped at her.

"W-w-whaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!.." yelped Mikan just when Herman landed on her shoulder with his arms. Out of nowhere, he brought up a spray bottle filled with octopus ink(?). Pointing at her face, he sprayed the substance right in her eyes. The attack on her eyes caused Mikan to fall down on her back, yelping in total confusion.

"Hahahahahaha! Consider yourself bamboozled!" taunted Herman before he jumped back on the shelf and hid the spray bottle somewhere. Then he ran away on land, using his arms as some kind of legs. Meanwhile, Mikan was still laying on her ground, being blinded by ink as she flailed around with arms and legs at the same time. Luckily for her, the boxes were not close enough to be damaged by either her fall or flailing.

"H-hasta la pasta! Hasta la pasta!" quavered Mikan as she kept flailing on the floor. Some time passed when she heard the incoming rush of footsteps from somewhere in the hall. The sounds were getting louder as the each second passed. It was then revealed that a bunch of classmates were coming at her, those being Chiaki, Hajime, Ibuki, Sonia, Fuyuhiko, Peko and Mahiru.

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! WEE WOO WEE WOO!" yelled Ibuki, pretending she was an ambulance as she ran in a formation with her classmates. Her gang quickly arrived to Mikan, who was still squirming on the floor.

"Mikan, what just happened?" asked Hajime upon the sight of her.

"A-an octopus attacked me!" hastily explained Mikan. Chiaki, as quickly as she could, picked her up and lifted her. Borrowing a handkerchief from Sonia, she cleaned off

"Huh? What do you mean by octopus?" questioned Hajime, being caught off guard by her.

"Octopuses learned how to walk on land?!" fretted Ibuki, already imagining the octopus people taking over the world. Sonia seemed to share the sentiment, but she thought it was a regional Japanese octopus instead.

"H-he was there a-and he talked to me until he suddenly jumped like me!" continued Mikan, playing out the entire scenario in front of them.

"I've got a question for you..." groused Fuyuhiko as he stepped forward. "…._The hell_ were you smoking?"

"W-what?! I-I would never smoke! I-I would never do such a thing! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" whimpered Mikan at his response, already raising her arms to cover herself.

"Hey, what's the big idea?! How can you just accuse her like that? Where are your manners?!" jumped Mahiru in Mikan's defense.

"Alright then, provide evidence, bitch." retaliated Fuyuhiko, offering a demand. Mahiru gave him a glare as a response, but before she could say anything, Sonia already intervened.

"Let us not get into a quarrel between ourselves! We must focus on the one who attacked Mikan!" asserted Sonia, preventing a fight that could have happened.

"Sonia's right. That should be the focus of our attention." added Peko, crossing her arms. Chiaki, still being close to Mikan, swiped of her finger on Mikan's face, where the remains of substance were still there. She put the finger with ink in her mouth, tasting it, much to the surprise of everyone around.

"Hmmm….tastes rather salty." commented Chiaki after doing her little experiment.

"Wait...why did you do that?" asked Hajime after witnessing that.

"I...just wanted to see what kind of liquid was on her face...I think." explained Chiaki, not before a somewhat lengthy pause happened during her explanation.

"Then that's definitely octopus ink! I've had squid ink pasta before and it was quite good!" confirmed Sonia, remembering that one time she had squid ink spaghetti with tabasco sauce.

"Okay then...if you say so." sighed Hajime, believing their words.

"Mikan, do you know where the supposed octopus went?" asked Peko.

"S-sorry, I d-don't know." responded Mikan as if she was ashamed.

"Then...Mikan, you should go with Chisa to relax with her. We promise you that we will find the octopus." reassured Chiaki, uplifting the mood for Mikan as she went towards the box to pick it up and do the thing she was supposed to. As she left, the rest of the group remained perplexed at the whole situation.

"Mahiru, do you have a camera with you?" asked Hajime to be sure of something.

"Sure! I always take it with me." confirmed Mahiru, bringing up her camera to display it to everyone.

"That's good. If you see the octopus, take a picture of it as fast as you can." grinned Hajime, already thinking of a plan to capture that cephalopod of the unknown.

"There better be a damn octopus!" chided Fuyuhiko before their search began. At first, they stayed in the group, searching through out the hallways to find their target. And so it continued for them…

While they kept searching for him, somewhere else in the hallway Teruteru was walking down rather confidently. He went to his personal favorite place: kitchen. When he entered the desired room, he saw that the room was the same as before, not noticing the patched up tile on the floor. Before he went to prepare a meal of the day, he checked the drawer with culinary either by instinct or him just having a hunch. He noticed something that caught him by surprise: the spoons were back!

"Oooh! The spoons! Finally, my customers can eat soup normally!" cheered Teruteru as he grabbed a spoon, raising it in the air as a sign of triumph. "But wait...how did they get back? Hmmm...".

Meanwhile, under the Hope's Peak academy, penguins were gathered around Kowalski's newest invention: a drilling vehicle made out of the stuff he "loaned" from the warehouse. It resembled a tank like vehicle which a certain witch used it during her prime time. The tunnels around turned into a complex network, similar to a metro.

"Kowalski, you sly fox. Didn't expect that you would have created an ace in the hole for us." praised Skipper, raising his "eyebrow" with it.

"With this machine, the amount of time for us to complete our base is now less than a day!" boasted Kowalski as he proudly tapped the contraption. "Now only the rooms remain and that should be rather quick."

The penguins gave each other a series of high fives in numerous poses, which often ended in someone slapping Private's face.

"Now now, boys. Lets finish this buffet of a structure with a tasty desert!" ordered Skipper as Kowalski revved up the "engine" of the machine. The (actual) shovel attached to the blender started spinning as the penguins started to push it forward, enabling it to dig in the process.

Back in the kitchen, Teruteru was looking at the papers to see what was on the schedule for the day. He found that day's plan on the very specific paper. It was written "Spaghetti Bolognese" on it.

"Oooh, yes! Today they are gonna be blessed with my...sensational cooking!" boasted Teruteru as he was getting...excited about it, but then he looked around to see if any furniture was out to get him.

"...Huh, surprised that nothing smashed as of now….I see...gotta keep it..._subtle_." realized Teruteru on the sight of furniture not whooping his bum before he went to grab some onions. With striking speed and without a tear in his eye, he cut down the onions like a true samurai. Then he threw the cut onions in a pan, where he fried the pieces in oil. Meat was added in the oil among onions, followed by salt, spice, garlic and black pepper. After the time was right, he poured water in the pan. He mixed the Bolognese in making during the preparation just like a true chef would. Teruteru had to wait for the sauce to be made, but unfortunately, he encountered a bane of any man: an extreme need to go to the toilet.

"Well now, I shall be quick! I think nothing bad will happen during it, right?" said Teruteru to himself before he went to the toilet.

After doing the deed, he walked down the hallway with a satisfied face. Suddenly, he smelled something off. The aroma from kitchen did not reek of Bolognese, but rather something creamy with a little scent of ham.

"Huh? What's that smell?" he wondered as he quickly approached the kitchen. When he opened the door, he saw something that he wouldn't have ever imagined: an octopus eating spaghetti right in front of him.

"Naw...Naw, man. I don't believe it." denied Teruteru with a smile on his face. Herman glanced over to him while still eating pasta.

"Oh, hello there!" greeted Herman, stuffing his mouth with more spaghetti as he waved at him with his arm. "Carbonara is the meaning of life, isn't it?"

"...Where is Bolognese, though?" asked Teruteru after looking at the place where the pan used to be.

"It walked away, probably. Got bored, like all the sauces get these days." jested Herman, still eating spaghetti.

"Naw, that's impossible….unless….you took it?" questioned Teruteru once he got a realization of the whole situation.

"...hahahaHAHAHAHA! Yes, it was me all along! I dumped your precious Bolognese in trash and made my own Carbonara!" cackled Herman upon the reveal as he raised his arm, clenching it like a fist of a boastful man. Then, something inside Teruteru's mind completely snapped.

"...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUH, YOU MADAFAKA! WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHTS ON THIS PROPERTY?! HOW DARE YOU MESS WITH MY FOOD?!" exploded Teruteru as he suddenly started to speak with a Cajun accent.

"OHOHOHO! Come and get me, maestro! Let me hear your symphony of rage!" taunted Herman, being completely delighted at the chef's reaction. He juggled his arm as if he was inviting the chef somewhere.

"NO ONE MESSES WITH MY GRANDIOSE FOOD! NO ONE! NO EXCEPTION! I AIN'T HAVIN' YO SHIT!" shouted Teruteru as he rushed off towards the drawer with spoons and started throwing them at the octopus. However, Herman dodged them by quickly placing his position somewhere else. Sometimes, he managed to catch some of the thrown spoons and hid them around the kitchen in order for them to not be a liability.

"Yes, YES! Spice up your work with the accelerando of ire!" chortled Herman as he kept jumping all over the kitchen, evading the thrown spoons from the raging Teruteru.

"WUZZAT?! COME AND GET SOME! GET SOME!" cursed Teruteru, ceasing with throwing spoons, instead opting for the nearest frying pan. He swung it with all his (lack of) might, trying to hit Herman, but only things that he managed to strike was everything else.

"Strike like a crescendo! Bring in the steam like a furious locomotive!" provoked Herman as he kept dodging Teruteru's swings.

"TODAY'S LUNCH IS GONNA BE CALAMARI, I TELL YOU! I TELL YOU WHAT!" threatened Teruteru, throwing his frying pan at him, completely missing him just like before. However, Herman leaped at him and landed on his shoulder, startling him in the process.

"Bravo! Bravo! But unfortunately for our maestro, now comes the time of lacrimosa, as he is about to get EYESCHLUSS'D!" exasperated Herman in the most theatrically way possible before bringing his spray bottle again. He fired the substance right in Teruteru's eyes, blinding him. "By the way, calamari is referred for squids, asshole."

"JAMIE OLIVER!" screamed Teruteru after being assaulted with ink. "I-it's pitch black!"

"As for epilogue of this symphony, I have only one thing to say..." said Teruteru before jumping on the nearest wardrobe, which contained a lot of plates inside of it.

"I'M ABOUT TO BUST A NU-" he shouted, imitating pelvic thrusts before the wardrobe budged, signifying that Teruteru was about to get squashed.

"OOOOOOH NOOOOOOO!" yelled Teruteru, trying to run away from the falling wardrobe, only for him to crash into nearly everything in the kitchen. It turned out that the one who was responsible for the budge was none other than Herman, who laughed loudly at the sight of panicking Teruteru.

"...Sike! You thought, but consider yourself busted! Hahahahaha!" taunted Herman before he dashed off, leaving the kitchen within a second. Upon hearing Herman's taunt, Teruteru swiped off the ink from his face with his hand before clenching it and leaving the kitchen.

"COME BACK, YOU SCOUNDREL!" bickered Teruteru, shaking his fist. Suddenly, he encountered Byakuya Togami, who was giving him the glare of someone who was pretty done with everyone else's antics.

"Why are you screaming like a castrated ape?" asked Byakuya in the most condescending tone possible.

"Oh, hello there, Monsieur Togami! Didn't notice you, but nothing happened. I swear an octopus didn't-" Teruteru tried to explain without bursting a nerve, only for Byakuya to step away almost immediately.

"Goodbye." said Byakuya as he went his own way, only for him to hear the rush of footsteps behind him. He already scowled at the thought of who might be the source of them.

"Fantastic. Now there's more idiots coming my way." Byakuya thought to himself, turning back and witnessing the same gang that arrived when Mikan was attacked.

"If you are looking for the source of this undignified racket, then you have come to the right place. Do whatever you want, I want nothing to do with this nonsense." scoffed Byakuya before he completely left the scene. The ganged looked at Teruteru and saw that his face also got sprayed.

"Teru, you too?!" gasped Ibuki at the sight of chef being in a similar state as the nurse.

"Yes, I have be-wait wait wait….how did you know?" asked Teruteru, confused about them already knowing what happened.

"Mikan was just attacked by him before." clarified Peko in her typical calm voice.

"Non non non, I do not believe it! I do not believe that has happened." denied Teruteru once again as he suddenly combed his hair. 

"Unfortunately, it has." remarked Hajime, breaking chef's self inflicted disbelief.

"...Well, moi spaghetti is ruined like a broken condo-" lamented Teruteru, raising his arms like a melodramatic actor, only to be stopped by rest of the gang.

"Don't make that comparison….please." pleaded Mahiru in a rather irritated tone.

"Furniture doesn't seem to like that commentary, so its best to play it safe." commented Ibuki.

"Right...but basically, lunch's ruined. Now I must go and...get some fresh air." sighed Teruteru, stepping away from the gang to get outside.

"We...have to stop the octopus." declared Chiaki.

"First Mikan, now Teru! We can't let that squishy menace take any more victims!" added Sonia, pushing her hand forward as if she was signifying to stop.

"Are you sure that its an octopus and not those two dumbfucks smoking some weird ass shit?" doubted Fuyuhiko.

"Our only proof now is ink and the fact it appeared in both cases." reminded Hajime.

"We have to hurry...octopus could be preparing himself for another attack now." frowned Chiaki with a completely serious look in her eyes. She was determined to stop the octopus with her friends.

"There is no time to waste. We have to go forward." added Peko before all of the gang rushed forward, continuing their search for the octopus once again.

Meanwhile, near the classroom of class 78th, Sayaka and Makoto were hanging out. The girl with blue hair had a portable CD player with her along with her own track.

"Would you like to one of my group's latest tracks? We really put a lot of effort in it and I hope you like it! You would probably approve it, right?" asked Sayaka, being prepared to put the CD in the player.

"Of course, but how did you know?" approved Makoto, but he still wanted to know how did she manage to guess it correctly.

"Because I am a psychic." bluntly answered Sayaka, only for her serious look to turn into a peppy giggle. "Just kidding! Anyway...the song is called "Stars between us" and it's about...well...hear the lyrics and you will see."

"I know it's a joke, but sometimes…." thought Makoto to himself. Sayaka put the CD inside the player and clicked the play button on it. However, Sayaka's smile on her face disappeared as soon as she heard that the instrumental of the song was not something typical of idol music, but rather being reminiscent of someone clanging on a metal plate and a dying engine of a really old car.

"_Umlaut, Umlaut, Umlaut...Ja, Ja, Ja…..__I ran out of gas. My lawn is grass __a__nd you know what...I really like to_ _**ÄË**__**Ï**__**ÖÜ!**_-" sang the deep voice, which sounded like a Dutch tractor driver giving out the latest deal in wheel market until the beat dropped, where it sounded like a group of ducks having a big smoke.

"W-what?! T-this must be a mistake! I swear this must be a mistake!" panicked Sayaka as she quickly stopped the track and pulled out the CD, taking a closer look at it with her trembling hand. Suddenly, Herman dropped down from the ceiling as he held on a string like some kind of spider. Without both of them noticing, Herman placed himself right behind their backs.

"Peekaboo!" shouted Herman, spooking both of them. Sayaka and Makoto turned back, being startled by the sight of such being.

"Wait, what? A-an octopus?!" both of them gasped while being completely confused.

"No, I am a starfish, don't you see? Of course I am an octopus, you blind dumbasses! Anyway, were you looking for this?" sassed Herman as he pulled out Sayaka's track out of somewhere.

"Give it back! Now!" demanded Sayaka, trying to forcefully snatch the CD from Herman's arms, but to no avail.

"Nah, man. It's going with me! This too!" jested Herman as he leaped towards the CD player and grabbed his own disc before returning to his position, shocking both Sayaka and Makoto.

"But do not fret, because both of you get a free present!" exclaimed Herman. While Sayaka was still in the state of shock to the point of her skin becoming paler, Makoto had enough.

"Octopus, please stop it right now! This isn't funny in any sort of way!" demanded Makoto while trying to convince Herman to cease with his nonsense, only to be met by the sight of him whipping out his spray bottle, still being decently filled with ink.

"EYESCHLUSS!" Herman let out a battle cry as he leaped towards both of them, first spraying Makoto right in his eyes and then Sayaka, making both of them flinch and scream at the same time. After they've been blinded by ink, Herman returned to his original position.

"Hahahahahaha! If you could only see the look on your faces...oh wait, you can't! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" cackled Herman before he ran away, leaving them completely confused.

"...W-what was...all of this?" stuttered Makoto as he wiped off the ink from his face. He had to do it to Sayaka as well, since she still remained in a state of shock. Much to their lack of fortune, Zapatta saw them and decided to join in.

"YO, was that Big G's latest "ExPERIMENTAL HYPOTHESIS" mixtape? That shit's fire, yo!" bubbled Zapatta, only to be met with awkward silence from both of them. The rockstar then noticed that they had ink on their faces.

"Hey, what's that black liquid on your faces? Did you two hold pens before they exploded in your hands?" asked Zapatta, tilting his head to get a better view of them.

"...Uh...did you see an octopus around there?" responded Makoto with another question.

"...Wha? What do you mean by an octopus? How can there be an octopus on land?" perplexed Zapatta.

"...I..don't know how to explain it in any other way..." sighed Makoto. Sayaka remained quiet.

"Just because your faces are inked doesn't mean you two should be so dour! I mean, you've got Big G's track! That should be an honour!" Zapatta attempted to cheer them up in his own way.

"...Sorry to say this, but Sayaka and I don't know about Big G." admitted Makoto. Zapatta was slightly saddened by that fact.

"Aw, man...that's a big suck. Anyway, see you there, fellas!" said Zapatta before he left them and went in the direction of his nose. Makoto and Sayaka still tried to comprehend the situation they got themselves in by a cephalopod.

Across the other end of the hallway, the gang that was still on the search when they suddenly heard two screams. Chiaki immediately recognized those voices and dashed off towards the source, followed by others.

"This is bad...someone got attacked again." chided Chiaki, running as fast as she could towards the victims of another attack.

"How does he keep getting away with it?" ranted Hajime, getting a little bit of sick of searching.

"Another score for the octopus? This is unforgivable!" cursed Sonia.

"Octopus super speed strategy! It's what they use to travel, just like a human uses legs to run!" Ibuki tried to explain in her cheery tone as she ran.

"I've had it enough with this octopus bullshit and everything surrounding it!" fumed Fuyuhiko. Suddenly, Ibuki slipped on the floor, not only falling on it, but also being propelled forward from it.

"W-whoaaa!" she yelped as she slid on the floor. Following her, Mahiru also slipped, accidentally crashing into Sonia, who bumped into Chiaki. All of them together fell on the floor as they started sliding forward just like Ibuki. Hajime tripped over Chiaki as he couldn't stop himself from sliding on the floor, followed by Fuyuhiko and Peko, who fell in a similar fashion. As they slid on the floor, a wall with a window above it was waiting for them. Ibuki crashed into it first, followed by Chiaki, Sonia, Mahiru, then by Hajime and Fuyuhiko and the last but certainly not the least Peko. When all of them managed to crash into the wall, they looked like a big pile of teenagers in one place.

"Owie..." yelped Ibuki, being completely covered by her classmates on top of her. Peko reached out her hand to help herself get out from the pile, only for her to touch the floor first. She felt some kind of moisture on it. Looking around the hallway, she found no warnings about such condition.

"Huh. Seems like the floor is wet. There were no caution signs placed nearby." noted Peko upon observation.

"Do you think the octopus made it such?" proposed Sonia. Peko then tried to get out of the teenage pile, only for her to touch a piece of paper. Upon closer examination of the piece, she found something written on it.

"Did you think I would think?" read out Peko as she stared at it. Externally, she seemed pretty stoic about it, but internally she was slightly confused.

"...What does that even mean?" asked Hajime in a rather annoyed tone. Everyone else was just as confused. Peko then turned the paper on its backside, where she found out that there was a long string of "haha" written on it. Realizing what could that mean, Peko just stared at the paper, being quite annoyed by the thought.

"O-octopuses not only learned to set up traps, but also they know how to write?!" fretted Ibuki as her mouth started to foam. It peeked out of the pile as it kept growing.

"This is just like that horror novel where the octopus people were in charge of the cult that controlled most of the world….which I've read with delight." said Sonia, causing surprised reactions around her. Another surprise for them was someone found them in such state: Makoto Naegi and Sayaka Maizono, who were baffled at what they saw.

"Did you guys..?" Makoto tried to ask, still staring at the pile of them.

"This is not what it looks like! We will explain everything soon!" elaborated Sonia, sharing the feeling of slight embarrassment among the gang who got piled up. With the help of Makoto and Sayaka, all of them managed to pick themselves up and discuss about the whole "affair". They have reached the same conclusion: it was the work of the octopus!

Later that day, both the gang that tried to chase down Herman and two victims from the class 78th returned to each respective classes. Other classmates, including Mikan and Teruteru, were waiting for them. As they entered classroom, Sonia, Mahiru and especially Chiaki seemed to have disappointed expressions on their faces while Hajime, Fuyuhiko and Peko seemed rather confused. Ibuki was in the state of her usual self but also trying to comprehend the thought of octopus people.

"So, something happened. What was it?" asked Nekomaru, crossing his arms.

"We tried to stop an octopus from attacking others..." started Sonia, looking down on the floor.

"...and failed at it." continued Mahiru, sharing the similar sentiment as the princess.

"What? An octopus?" nearly everyone but Mikan and Teruteru gasped upon hearing the news.

"Not just any octopus, but the one thatcoulddosomuchstuffLIKEPLANNINGTRAPSANDMORE!" added Ibuki as she suddenly speed up her voice out of sheer shock.

"Cut the crap out and just reveal what the hell were you on!" denounced Hiyoko, angrily pointing at them.

"Listen, I have asked this before but it seems like there is some proof that there is that damned punk causing shit all over the place." clarified Fuyuhiko, but still doubting that the octopus could do such stunts.

"B-but it was an o-octopus..." stuttered Mikan as she tried to contribute to the discussion, only for Hiyoko to turn towards her.

"WHO asked you to-" snarled Hiyoko at her, trying to insult her like she does every time.

"Ahem! I can testify that I have also been a victim!" interrupted Teruteru, raising his finger. "But...I do not wanna think about it."

"...Makoto and Sayaka too." lamented Chiaki, putting her hood over her head. She wasn't exactly happy at herself for being unable to prevent Herman's attacks.

"But wait...this is just my gut feeling, but don't octopuses need water to survive? They are after all sea creatures?" asked Akane, sensing a strange point in the conversation.

"Do not underestimate the unknown. Certain octopuses are known to walk on land in order to transfer through land in order to reach realms of their own domain for prey." snickered Gundham while making gestures during his explanation.

"But this one was jumping all over the place!" countered Teruteru.

"Is this perhaps a regional species?" piqued Sonia, still thinking if her idea was right.

"Or perhaps...they have evolved?!" suggested Ibuki, just simply not getting over the idea of octopus people.

"Mwahahaha! With the power of the All Seeing Eye, the every answer of a mortal shall be answered, realizing the horrible truth! But now, I must do the unholy deed!" boasted Gundham before he suddenly left the class. The class remained silent, trying to comprehend what was Gundham even talking about.

"...What's up with him?" asked Mahiru, just being baffled at actions that he has done.

He, simply put, went to the toilet.

When he went inside the toilet, he went for the middle cabin that contained a flush toilet, the paper roll and the brush meant for cleaning the toilet. Suddenly, just when he was about to "do his deed", four penguins jumped directly out of it. Gundham had a dumbfounded look in his eyes when he saw them, but he quickly adapted to the situation.

"You, monochromatic man. Hablas tu English?" asked Skipper, pointing at him as he and his brothers-in-arms were standing on the flush toilet.

"What brings you here, Avians of the Faraway Blizzard?!" questioned Gundham.

"Avians of the Faraway Blizzard? Now that's a good nickname! Anyway, are you one of_ them_?" Skipper brought up a topic as all of the penguins prepared a battle stance in case of an attack. In response, Gundham prepared his own battle stance if penguins were to be the first ones to launch an offense on them.

"There are many that can be considered them, but which ones are you referring to?" piqued Gundham, still being in his battle stance.

"Alright, so you are not one of_ them._" realized Skipper, lowering down their battle stances. Gundham followed with the same act as well.

"..What do you mean by one of them? Answer now or be cursed with unspeakable spells from the Pandemonium!" demanded Gundham as he shook his hand at them.

"Oh, we are-" Private tried to answer, but he got slapped by Skipper, silencing him.

"...So you wanna know about them, don't you, my monochromatic man? Under few conditions!" said Skipper.

"Make your offer a worthy one, avian!" boasted Gundham as he let out a laugh worthy of an evil overlord.

"You are allowed to spread this information, but keep our encounter a secret, comprende?" urged Skipper.

"It shall be hidden within the deepest depths of divine enigmas. Unleash the knowledge of avians upon this mortal realm!" promised Gundham before making a pose to match up with his boast.

"Have you seen any octopuses around there?" asked Skipper as if he was interrogating him.

"My minions were just discussing about the Kraken of the Land and his offenses in this facility!" answered Gundham.

"Looks like Herman's already there, boys. But do you know why is he there?" continued Skipper.

"Hmmm….I'd imagine that the Kraken of the Land reeked havoc upon this land because of the need to fulfill his need for entertainment. It is important for the octopus to stimulate or else it would start eating its own arms due boredom. However, having an alleged advanced capability to traverse through realm of land is a complete defiance against nature." Gundham gave out his answer in a rather calm way (for his standards).

"Kowalski, info dump!" ordered Skipper, pointing at the tallest penguin of the bunch.

"Herman is, in fact, the member of a mafia." revealed Kowalski.

"A MAFIA?!" gasped Gundham, being completely caught off guard by Kowalski's words.

"Not just any mafia, but the one called…._**Daft Capo**_. They seek to take over this school in order to gain control over Japan." continued Kowalski in the same tone as before.

"IMPOSSIBLE! I, Gundham Tanaka, with the power of the All-Seeing Eye, could not have predicted such revelation!" shouted the "Supreme Overlord", shaking his fist.

"We have some personal business with them, so we tracked them down and we are gonna give them some freshly made beatings! After that, it's gonna be the end of Daft Capo and an ice cold sushi breakfast for us!" concluded Skipper, putting his arms around like a confident boss.

"I, the Supreme Overlord, shall not allow such organization trying to usurp my reign! However, that does give me an idea..." Gundham proposed an idea to them.

"Do tell, Supreme Overlord. What's the deal?" asked Skipper.

"In exchange of our contact being an enigma towards the mortals, we shall establish an alliance between us! That way, our strength will multiply and we will cause greater havoc on Daft Capo!" elaborated Gundham as he gave out his end of the deal.

"Oh, we could get an ally or two!" complimented Private as he turned towards Skipper. Rico nodded in agreement as well.

"Kowalski, what do you say? I find this offer to be quite a jackpot." asked Skipper while unofficially approving their deal.

"Regional allies could provide us a great amount of support in our operations. With more manpower on our side, Daft Capo's defeat could come sooner than ever." Kowalski gave out his opinion on the matter.

"Alright then, deal's the deal, but what could be the name of our alliance? I'm thinking of something like "Special Ops Squad" thought Skipper about the addition to their deal.

"How about _The Fellowship of Darkness, _I say!" boastfully interjected Gundham.

"Hmmm….You know, that has a better ring with it. Lets go with that." agreed Skipper. A series of high fives followed once again, but this time they have some of them to Gundham and vice versa.

"Fuwahahahaha! The Fellowship of Darkness has been established upon this realm! With such alliance, our adversaries will tremble in terror at the mere mention of our name!" gloated Gundham before he remembered why did he go to the toilet in the first place. "But first...I still need to do the deed. Avians of the Faraway Blizzard, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

"Okay then. Tactical repositioning, boys!" ordered Skipper as the penguin boys stepped outside of the cabin, allowing Gundham to do his deed. When they heard the sound of a flushed toilet, they knew that the deed was done. Gundham stepped outside of the cabin once he was done and planned to return to his class.

"I must go to the realm of mortals now. We shall meet again!" said Gundham before he fully left the toilet, concluding their conversation entirely.

"Hmhmhm...Daft Capo, prepare yourself for the day of being busted." smirked Skipper as he rubbed his arms together.

Back in the class 77-B, the students were still discussing about the octopus, both in his modus operandi and how could such being even exist.

"You know, there is something I'm curious about. What is the motive of such attacks?" suddenly spoke Nagito, raising his point.

"Motive for the octopus? Hmm….hard to even imagine, to be honest." admitted Hajime.

"Judging from the paper, we can safely assume that all of this has been a provocation." answered Peko, bringing up the piece of paper from before.

"Would that mean that...no, nevermind. Not now. That would be...stupid to imagine." Nagito attempted to make a hypothesis, but stopped himself after thinking about the whole scenario. Suddenly, the doors were opened as if a supervillain entered the scene. The man behind such act was none other than Gundham, who seemed quite confident in himself. No one around him was truly surprised by his actions, but it did startle Mikan a bit.

"FUWAHAHAHAHA! I HAVE IT ALL, MORTALS! SOON YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH!" laughed Gundham as he gave them an offer. He entered the classroom with crossed arms, thinking that he has won the battle before it even began.

"Woah, you got life changing revelations from taking a shit? HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!...and can you teach me how? Sounds awesome!" admitted Nekomaru, also having a laugh of his own.

"Nekomaru, please." sighed Akane, slightly tapping him with her elbow.

Are you all prepared to hear the discovery granted by the forces above?!" asked Gundham just before he was about to reveal the information he found out. For a moment, no one was truly sure whether or not they wanted to hear the answer.

"If it's anything that would help our case, then go ahead, Gundham." approved Chiaki, believing that Gundham could solve quite a lot of mysteries surrounding the whole deal. Gundham prepared a pose for his speech.

"Herman...the Kraken of the Land...is a member of the mafia called Daft Capo! Those fiends seek to establish dominion in this structure! Once they would fully enforce their rule, they would go on and seek to claim the land of the rising sun as their own!" warned Gundham before he struck a boastful pose in the end. The revelation of such caliber caused confusion, panic and delay...but mostly greater confusion.

"WHAT?! A MAFIA?!" yelled both Kazuichi and Nekomaru at the same time.

"Fucking bullshit! All of it!" badgered Fuyuhiko, thinking that Gundham was pulling a leg with him.

"I don't believe it, man. I don't believe it!" denied Teruteru, trying to hide his paranoia about a mafia taking over the school.

"BLUBLUBLBUBLUBBLUBBLUB" foamed Ibuki as she nearly fainted. The confusion was stopped when Hajime realized something.

"Hold on a second. Gundham, you just went to the toilet. How..did you manage to find out such info, assuming that you're not making things up?" he asked, doubting Gundham's words.

"My tongue speaks only of truth, no matter how crushing it is. However, I cannot say how I obtained it, though even if I did, minds of yours wouldn't be able to comprehend. You have to see it with your own eyes." explained Gundham in his own fashion.

"Ugh, enough with this nonsense! Someone in the school is just playing a prank with us, probably that rockstar dickhead! How DUMB do you have to believe that an octopus could do such things?!" bickered Hiyoko, thinking that all of the was a waste of time.

Suddenly, an egg was thrown right in Chiaki's face. The egg crushed itself from the impact, spreading yolk on her right cheek. She was startled from the sudden hit, touching the yolk with her fingers. The class quieted down as they tried to comprehend what just happened.

"...Huh? Where...did that come from?" she wondered while still being in the state of surprise from the hot.

"Who...who threw that at her?!" seethed Hajime, getting rather furious seeing someone doing such act to Chiaki.

"Uhh...that wasn't me! I swear it wasn't me!" pleaded Hiyoko, trying to convince others that she wasn't responsible. Not long after, another egg followed. It was thrown right into Hajime's face. By that, the following victim was Ibuki, who also received an egg in her face. Mahiru and Sonia also received an egg in their face, sharing the similar fate as their victims.

"Whoever it is, stop it right now!" angrily demanded Mahiru at the unknown perpetrator, only for another thrown egg to follow. That time, the victim of the strike was Nagito. Unlike others, he just remained confused on what happened. Then another egg was thrown with target being Kazuichi, but he hid himself under the table. That egg landed on Nagito's face once again.

"Hahaha! You thought you could get me, but consider yourself outsmarted!" gloated Kazuichi, thinking that he was safe. Suddenly, another egg landed in a hit right in his ribs. However, that egg was different: it was a hard boiled one.

"YEOW!" yelped Kazuichi, feeling the pain right in his ribs. Suddenly, after clearing her face, Ibuki saw something moving on the wall. He took a closer look only to find out something that they were searching before: Herman himself!

"HE'S HEREEEEEEEEEEEEE!" gasped Ibuki, pointing at the direction of her discovery. The class redirected its attention towards the direction where their fellow classmate was pointing. Suddenly, Herman changed his colors and jumped near the window, looking at them right in their faces. Nearly everyone, except Fuyuhiko, Nagito and Hiyoko, looked at him with intense anger in their eyes. However, those three were absolutely confused at the sight of Herman.

"Hahahahaha! Consider one and only thing…..GOTTEM! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" taunted Herman as he laughed right in their faces.

"Why you-" fumed Mahiru, before the chef overtook her.

"YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" snapped Teruteru at him, instinctively trying to find his frying pan.

"He's fucking real, holy shit. He's real!" shouted Fuyuhiko, not believing his eyes.

"W-what?! I swear I didn't take any drugs now!" stuttered Hiyoko, taking back her words from before.

"The Kraken of the Land! You have finally shown yourself!" greeted Gundham in a rather threatening tone as if he wanted to battle him.

"But now, I must go. GOODBYE, MOTHERFUCKERS!" gibed Herman before he opened the windows and left the classroom, cackling while running whenever his nose wanted him to go. He left the students of class 77-B in both anger and confusion.

"Coward!" condemned Gundham, shaking his fist at Herman.

"..That's it. We are gonna get octopus paste for dinner!" said Akane as she dashed off towards the window.

"Akane, wait-" Hajime tried to stop her, but she was already outside after crawling out of it. When she got out, she started searching through out the nearby area for the octopus.

"Come back here, you damned squishy bastard! Scared of beatings, aren't you?" provoked Akane while being completely agitated, cracking her fists in the process. That provocation ended up in a thrown egg, which landed right on her face, agitating her even more.

"Show yourself already!" raged Akane as she tried to find Herman, but she just couldn't. Another egg in the face followed. The strike itself raised the anger levels inside Akane so high that she was basically growling at that moment. She dashed off towards the wall, where she assumed that Herman was hiding through the gut feeling and punched the wall, leaving a rather deep hole in it. Alas for her, not only did she miss completely, but a rafale of four eggs came right into her face. She went full feral, searching for her with both her sight and smelling as well, but she did one mistake: she turned her back on the wall. In that moment, Herman changed its colors and leaped right on her shoulder, landing on it without a single issue.

"SURPRISE, EYESCHLUSS!" shouted Herman as he brought up a spray bottle with him and fired his ink right in her eyes. He cackled in her face before he jumped off, completely leaving Hope's Peak for that day. It seemed that his attack had secondary effects, as not only did Akane's rational thought return, she also felt completely demoralized. She returned back to her class with all the yolk and ink on the face. Other students seemed to have second hand embarrassment from seeing her like.

"...I'm hungry now….but I don't wanna eat any eggs….or anything with eggs." Akane grumbled as she sat down on her chair with Nekomaru.

Just after the things calmed down, but the embarrassment and irritation remained, Chisa returned to the class from the work the higher ups gave her, only to be completely startled by the mood in it.

"G-guys, what happened?" asked Chisa, worried about her students.

"….A lot, Miss Yukizome. A lot." concisely told her Hajime before he explained the whole situation to her.

The day at Hope's Peak, unlike before, did not end in students happily awaiting another day, but rather being confused and angry about a certain cephalopod. Fuyuhiko and Peko went their own way, distancing from others in the process.

"Master Fuyuhiko, is there something wrong?" asked Peko, concerned about Fuyuhiko's quiet behaviour

"...Something about the mafia that wizard guy mentioned. I hope it's just a fluke but after seeing that octopus…." confessed Fuyuhiko, crossing his arms while quietly looking at the floor.

"It could be just a coincidence, but there is a possibility." said Peko, trying to reassure him that things won't be so sour for them.

"..Lets hope that its just a coincidence….if anything else, lets not get Kuzuryu clan involved. If it escalates even more, we have to get my sister away from the school." emphasized Fuyuhiko.

"...Understood. Everything will be done as you said, Master." affirmed Peko as both of them continued their way home, ending it for that day.

Meanwhile, under the Hope's Peak, penguins finished constructing their base. They were placed in one of the rooms with a table and a light in it. There was a floor plan of the school on the table as the penguins were discussing urgent matters around it.

"Gentlemen, with everything done, all we gotta do right now is track down Herman and then Daft Capo's headquarters and hideouts and then we give them a whooping of the century!" declared Skipper, to which other penguins responded with applause.

"I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment, Sir." praised Kowalski.

"Perhaps the students could also help us defeat Daft Capo." Private gave out an idea for them.

"Of course we will and how we will!" boasted Skipper, raising his arm in the air as if he was rebelling against the skies. "But now, all we gotta do is show that octopus why are we the best freelance black ops team in the world!"

And so their plan was set in motion. When will they meet Herman is a matter of another day.


	5. and thus they YELLED!

A new day of Hope's Peak academy started, but not the one with eagerness, but rather with filled with anxiety. Weather didn't help either, as the sun was obscured by the gray clouds, darkening anything below them. The students of class 77-B, including Makoto Naegi and Sayaka Maizono, couldn't shake off the feeling that _he_ could be anywhere in the school. At any moment, he could attack them. At any chance, they could get humiliated. Some of the individuals were on high alert all the time thanks to the events from that day. However, Teruteru took a little step further by constantly carrying his frying pan, just in any case if _he_ would attack him.

The class 77-B waited for their teacher, but none of them were in a good mood. Chiaki just blankly stared at her table with her hood on her head, feeling an overwhelming amount of anxiety and negative energy within her classmates. She felt their worries and couldn't stop thinking about it. Hajime still tried to comprehend what happened that day while being concerned about his classmates as well. Mikan was trembling (like she usually does), fearing the prospect of that certain marine animal being anywhere. Ibuki tried to cheer up her class but to no avail. Akane's appetite for eggs was still in the status of being ruined while others just couldn't stop thinking about that pesky octopus...except Nekomaru, who had other concerns.

The doors opened as their teacher Chisa Yukizome stepped in.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted in her peppy tone, but the only response she got was the anxious looks from her students.

"...guys?" asked Chisa, standing around in the dimly lit ambience of uneasiness. All the silence around her only gave her even more worries about them.

"...Good morning, Miss Yukizome..." quietly greeted Chiaki while looking at hear teacher with weary eyes. It physically pained Chisa in the stomach when she saw Chiaki like that.

"What's wrong, guys?" asked Chisa, having a disheartening look on her face.

"...That goddamn octopus..." Fuyuhiko gave out the answer, already feeling tired of constantly thinking about that day's events.

"He could be anywhere, even in this room." cautioned Peko, thinking of a possibility of another series of attacks. Despite her (usual) stoic expression on her face, deep down she felt great amount of discomfort at that certain cephalopod attacking her friends.

"I do not believe that! That is simply impossible!" denied Teruteru while hiding his frying pan.

"I don't know about that, considering what happened before..." tiredly countered Hajime as he rested his head on his arm.

"L-lets not get today soured because of something in the past, okay? We have so much to look for!...right?" Chisa tried to cheer them up, reminding them of what good things could happen at that moment, similarly to the days before the octopus' assault.

"I sure would love to get another hard boiled egg in my ribs today." grumbled Kazuichi, only remembering the impact received right in his ribs.

"I still don't know what happened and why it did." wondered Nagito, still perplexed about that situation.

"Guys, guys, please…." pleaded Chisa as the uncertainty continued to spiral through out the class.

"Sorry, Miss Yukizome...It just feels…." lamented Mahiru, appreciating her teacher's efforts but being overwhelmed by feelings. Suddenly, Nekomaru slammed his giant fist on the table as he stood up, fed up with the negative energy surrounding his classmates.

"_ENOUGH!_" shouted Nekomaru, startling everyone in the process as he gained their attention. "ARE WE SERIOUSLY GONNA LET ONE OCTOPUS DESTROY OUR MOODS?!"

"U-uh…." stuttered Mikan, having her arms close to her chest. Other classmates and their teacher didn't give out a proper answer either.

"NO! THAT SHOULD BE OUR ANSWER!" continued Nekomaru in his boisterous fashion as his voice boomed through out the classroom. "BUT FIRST, YOU MUST KNOW WHO THE HELL WE ARE!"

"Smelly losers?" sassed Hiyoko in such time.

"NO, NOT THAT!" denied Nekomaru while still demanding their answer.

"Hopes for the world?" answered Nagito, sounding rather unsure if it was the thing his manager classmate wanted.

"I suppose so, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST! You gotta remember what you truly are!" said Nekomaru, somewhat confirming that Nagito's answer was not completely correct.

"...Class 77-B?" blurted out Mahiru, saying the first thing that popped in her head.

"THAT'S RIGHT! WE'RE CLASS 77-B AND WE'RE GONNA KICK THAT OCTOPUS' AAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS!" boastfully approved Nekomaru as he clenched his fists while letting out a yell. Somehow, the energy radiating from their buff team manager student affected other classmates as well. No longer we're they exhausted, but rather filled with determination.

"Yeah! You're right, Nekomaru!" cheered Sonia, absorbing the energy from him.

"Kehehe...now that is a good line. The day of our fated duel is coming closer!" boasted Gundham, smirking at the idea of a battle.

"Nekomaru is right. We cannot let ourselves be defeated by the pranks of the octopus. In order to defeat him, we must step together. With the power of friendship, anything is possible, even what we think is impossible!" Chiaki gave out her speech, reminiscing of those in role playing games where the ragtag bunch of heroes are about to battle their greatest enemy. Her speech only escalated the determination and resolve in the hearts of her classmates, but not before both Fuyuhiko and Hiyoko rolled their eyes.

"Exactly! We will show the octopus what are we made of!" cheered Mahiru, pumping her fists in the air, to which Sonia and Ibuki followed doing the same action as her.

"That was so cheesy, it gave me lactose intolerance!" winced Hiyoko after hearing Chiaki's speech as is she tasted a raw lemon.

"But a pizza without cheese is not pizza! Sometimes, you need a little cheese in your life!" chirped Ibuki in response to Hiyoko, feeling pumped up after her friend's speech.

"As your teacher, it is my responsibility to help you fight the octopus!" crowed Chisa, officially joining their fight against Herman. It seemed like they were prepared for anything that their potential enemies would throw at them….except Fuyuhiko, who couldn't shake off a certain feeling about the octopus.

"...You can go all sunshine and rainbows all you want, but you better not forget one tiny thing regarding that asshole." reminded Fuyuhiko, halting the cheery mood of his classmates.

"Wait, what do you mean, Fuyuhiko?" asked Nekomaru, unsure what he meant.

"If the thing that the wizard guy told is…..true, somehow….then _we're dealing with the fucking __**mafia**__!_" warned Fuyuhiko, making his classmates realize in what situation were truly in. The determination and resolve from before stopped as they were overtaken by anxiety at what they could face in the future.

"….M-mafia?" asked Chisa, first time hearing about it. Silence of uncertainty followed after her question.

"Have we confirmed that the mafia is real, though?" asked Hajime, after thinking about whether or not their fears are fully rationalized while also breaking the silence.

"My tongue speaks only of truth...but it is not erroneous that the amount of information we have on Daft Capo is lacking." admitted Gundham, crossing his arms as his purple scarf was dangling around. "I shall inform you mortals more once I get to know."

"Don't you guys know what it means to cross paths with such organizations?" cautioned Fuyuhiko again, knowing from his experience.

"The only thing I imagine would be reassuring is that the mafia in question is the one of a small size, insignificant compared to the more well known organizations dealing with organized crime. However, we still don't know about it too much, so I expect Gundham to be our outlet, if we can trust him that much." explained Ryota as he turned his eyes towards the student in black.

"Say, Gundham….how exactly did you find out about Daft Capo? You mentioned about something we should see with our own eyes, right?" asked Nekomaru, realizing something after Hajime raised his question.

"…..You will find out soon enough." said Gundham in a rather warning tone.

"Anyway, mafia or not, we should focus on that octopus! What kind of serious mafia would have an octopus as a member? It already tells a lot about them!" chuckled Nekomaru after getting his thoughts about mafia out of his way.

"Don't put responsibility on me if you end up like body bags." scowled Fuyuhiko, feeling like he was not listened at all.

"I don't think we're going to face the entire mafia, just one member of it." reassured Hajime while trying to convince himself that his hypothesis is true. "That is, of course, an optimistic estimation."

"U-uh, s-sorry to interrupt, but there is something I've noticed." whimpered Mikan as she raised her arm.

"Yeah? What did you notice, Mikan?" asked Chiaki, allowing her to speak.

"I-if we were to hurt the octopus….w-wouldn't he report us for animal abuse?" Mikan raised a point regarding Herman. The thoughts of her classmates, once about mafia attacking their school, suddenly changed to the ethics of self defense against a sentient animal. A lot of them felt quite dumbfounded about it.

"That's the dumbest question I have ev-" snarled Hiyoko already just from hearing Mikan, but was immediately interrupted.

"S-sorry, t-that was-" apologized Mikan by instinct.

"Mikan, I think he already faces a lot of charges from that day already, so I wouldn't say we would have to worry about that. It's alright, though." reassured Hajime, calming her down. It seemed that Mikan's topic lightened up the class' mood, with their determination and resolve against Herman returning once again.

"...Alright then, lets go! Lets show that octopus who is the boss!" concluded Nekomaru as he let out a large laugh.

"Yeah! Lets go!" nearly everyone cheered as well. They have noticed that it was time for the lunch break, so they left the classroom with the determination of striking back against the octopus, but at that time they needed something to eat.

However, someone remained inside the classroom. That person was Nagito, who was just standing still like a statue in the middle of the classroom. Chiaki, while still being in the hallway, noticed that he was missing in the hall, so she dashed back to her class and opened the door, witnessing the white haired boy in his position.

"Hey, Nagito. Are you coming with us?" asked Chiaki, peeking from the door.

"Of course! Just that...I need to do something here for a moment, okay?" answered Nagito in a rather relaxed tone, to assure her that he will do nothing suspicious.

"Understood. We will be waiting you in the dining hall." said Chiaki before she returned on her way towards the dining hall. After closing the door, Nagito was left alone in the class, smirking. The smirk on his face slowly, but surely, transitioned into a laughter. He raised both of his arms in the air, with his palms completely open, as the laughter became more uncontrollable by the time it went on. His eyes felt unnatural, as if some spiral twisted itself inside of them.

"Hehehehe…Hahahahaha!...Such hope spawned from an illusory adversary….I thank you, Daft Capo! You have truly unified the classmates of Hope's Peak academy! Whether you're real or not doesn't matter. What does matter is that you have become a stepping stone for us! I must also thank you, Nekomaru and Chiaki, for aspiring such hope within us!" Nagito talked to himself, making gestures as he kept laughing as if he completely lost his mind. "...but I could take back everything I've said if your motives could potentially be….We will see which hope is greater: the one of Hope's peak or Daft Capo's…."

Meanwhile, as everyone was busy enjoying their meals in the dining hall, Nekomaru suddenly stood up and had to go. He went down the hall while holding a newspaper of that day. There were many news on it, some quite trivial. In fact, most of them were rather not that important. His footsteps echoed loudly through out the hall as he kept going.

"Hahaha! That will surely raise their spirits! I mean, we gotta keep our heads cool in such times or else we would get tossed around pretty hard...but now, I shall go enjoy one of the life's greatest pleasures: TAKING A DEEP SHIT!" thought Nekomaru to himself, already imagining one of his favorite activities. Then he arrived at his destination: men's bathroom. He opened the door before he went inside, preparing himself to do the deed. Suddenly, the door opened once again. When he looked back, he saw Gundham behind him.

"Gundham?! What's up?" asked Nekomaru while casually greeting him, stalling the deed in the process. The wizard lad with crossed arms just stared at him with a rather dedicated yet cautious look on his eyes.

"Are you prepared to see the undisputed truth?" warned Gundham for what was about to come.

"Truth? Can you translate what you mean? I kinda don't get the wizard talk." asked Nekomaru once again.

"Kehehehe….be prepared for what you're about to see." chuckled Gundham before he prepared a boastful pose like an ancient sorcerer casting an unholy spell on a town filled with sinful people. "COME FORTH, MY ALLIES!"

Suddenly, some kind of noise behind Nekomaru was heard, only for doors of one of the cabins to open, revealing none other than the penguins, who just casually walked out of it. The look on Nekomaru's face could not be described in any words other than complete and utter bafflement when he saw those bird fellows strolling inside the school, but for Gundham, that was a sight he got used to really quick.

"Overlord, my man! Did you bring us another ally?" quipped Skipper while also wondering what could Nekomaru's presence mean. While Kowalski and Rico didn't react too drastically seeing him, Private waved at him with a peppy expression, welcoming a potentially new friend.

"WOAH! PENGUINS?!" shouted Nekomaru, though he didn't know whether to feel completely confused at what he just witnessed or be excited to see something like that in Hope's Peak academy.

"Mwahahaha! Do you see it now, Nekomaru Nidarai?" gloated Gundham as if his classmate was exposed to some kind of life shattering revelation.

"So uh...who's gonna do the explaining?" asked Nekomaru, scratching his head while still observing the penguins.

"Allow us to do it, Mister Macho Muchacho, but only if you join us. We'll be needing more men in our fight." offered Skipper while also giving out a request to him, pointing his flipper at him.

"Join...what exactly? Did you establish something secretly? And what fight?" questioned Nekomaru.

"FUWAHAHAHA! THE FELLOWSHIP OF DARKNESS! The secret cult established by phantoms in light, who seek to arrange the world order for their own bidding!" explained Gundham in the way that would be expected of him: full of poses and villainous laughing. Nekomaru had no idea how to respond to Gundham.

"In other words, a group of individuals who carry out anti-Daft Capo operations." elaborated Kowalski, deciphering what his wizard friend meant.

"Oh so!...I guess I'll join?" hesitated Nekomaru. While idea of fighting against the alluded mafia sounded solid to him, he still wasn't entirely convinced that it exists.

"Pronto! Now, Overlord, I ask you this: did you tell them about it?" requested Skipper.

"Of course, I have released our hidden knowledge upon them, but for now only Nekomaru knows about our alliance, but that is fair since he's the new member of the Fellowship!" reported Gundham with a smirk on his face.

"Good! Now, you there! You've probably heard all about Herman and Daft Capo, right?" asked Skipper as he turned his direction towards Nekomaru.

"Yes, I have!...wait...were you the ones that told Gundham about them?" said Nekomaru before he realized something about the situation he was in.

"Kehehehe….you have figured it out." chuckled Gundham, feeling some kind of accomplishment in his mind.

"Gotta say...this is both really weird and kinda cool!" admitted Nekomaru, having a small laugh.

"Anyway, the Avians of the Faraway Blizzard, I meant to ask you this: could you reveal more about Daft Capo? Last time, the fortune didn't give me enough time to fully discuss our topic." asked Gundham, turning towards the penguins.

"Oh yeah, I wanna address one more thing….Do you guys have any material evidence of Daft Capo? All of it so far has been mouth to mouth, which does harm our credibility." requested Nekomaru in addition to Gundham's words, demanding some evidence of Daft Capo's existence-

"Rico!" ordered Skipper as his penguin colleague spat out a folder. That was an action that grossed out Nekomaru a little. When the folder landed on the floor, Kowalski opened it up, revealing a set of pictures inside of it. On the first picture in the folder, there were a group of men in glittering white tuxedos, wearing white fedoras on their heads, grouped up behind a Mercedes-Benz truck. A familiar octopus was among them, giving them cash out of black suitcases.

"Here we have spotted some Daft Capo's henchmen grouping up after their heist in Luxembourg, the capital city of Luxembourg. We have also found out that the person who spearheaded was none other than Herman." described Kowalski as he pointed out at "people of interest", most notably the one and only octopus.

"Henchman is just another word for a designated punching bag!" boasted Skipper, to which Rico gave him a high five.

"I see...was that your first encounter with him and mafia?" asked Nekomaru.

"Nope, that was in the good ol' New York. His underhanded behind spared him that time, but he wasn't as lucky when we got him in Luxembourg! In fact, we've been scoring quite good ever since!" boastfully answered Skipper while playing it like a professional baseball player scoring constant home runs for half a century.

"What about that time in Denma-" reminded Private, bringing his leader some bad memories of what happened there not only once, but twice, thanks to one of the older adversaries and Herman.

"We don't talk about that time, Private, and we especially don't mention that city." warned Skipper with his eye twitching at the mere mention of a certain European country. "Anyway, Kowalski, continue with your briefing!"

Kowalski removed the first picture of the set and placed it on the floor, revealing another picture, which depicted the same tuxedo wearing men patrolling around a port filled with massive container ships. Herman was also there, seemingly leading them around the vessels.

"Daft Capo's activities have been tracked in Rotterdam as well. They have attempted to take over the port, but that threat has been neutralized by us and secondary belligerents." continued Kowalski, performing similar actions as before.

"Mostly by us." emphasized Skipper while putting his flippers around his stomach. "The thing is, they actually got competent there. Quite a difference from Luxembourg….which I find kinda odd, if I'm honest."

"So...they're active on a global scale?" asked Nekomaru, rethinking his boasts from before. He thought that if Daft Capo started an offense on Hope's Peak, they could easily rally many of its members around the globe, decreasing the school's chance of success.

"There must be thousands of them, like an army of infernal demons!" said Gundham, imagining legions of gangsters in tuxedos trying to invade Hope's Peak academy while he stands above it, leading the demonic resistance against them.

"Their activities so far have only been in Europe, though I hear conflicting sources about the exact origin of Daft Capo. Most consistent answers seem to be either Czech Republic, San Marino or Slovakia, though no one agrees on it. We have only recently found out about their location in Japan. I do not quite understand why would they go so far away from their turf." continued Kowalski before he placed the earlier picture above it, thinking that both pictures served their purpose.

"It's a small scale mafia, nothing to worry about! I'm pretty sure you Hope's Peak guys are beefy enough to take on some gangsters!" added Skipper, being nonchalant about the conflict between them and the mafia. His words raised quite a lot of confidence in them, believing that their classmates would love to hear the information they gathered.

"Does that mean we can KICK THEIR AAAAAAAAASSSSS without any problems?" asked Nekomaru, feeling all pumped up and ready to fight any gangster that would dare to step inside the school.

"You bet!" approved Skipper, feeling pumped up as well and ready to kick behinds of Daft Capo members one again.

"AW YEAAAAAAH! NOW WE'RE TALKING!" triumphantly shouted Nekomaru, pumping his fists in the air. Gundham felt the similar sentiment, but he quickly noticed something that didn't seem to align.

"Hold on, there is something that greatly disturbs my sixth sense." acknowledged Gundham, raising his finger.

"Yeah? What's the issue, Overlord, my man?" asked Skipper in a casual tone.

"How did you manage to find out so many of their positions without the help of the All-Seeing Eye...or do you perhaps have it?" wondered Gundham, thinking about all the possibilities they could have gathered information.

"Open-source intelligence, baby! All we had to do is get some satellite imagery from the Internet, which isn't hard to get really, determine their path and voila, Daft Capo ratted out! Free of charge and no need to break in some top secret facilities! I gotta thank Kowalski for suggesting using free sources." revealed Skipper, surprising both of them about how their gathering of information seemed like something even a kid who just used a computer for the first time could have performed such task well.

"I should state that we have yet to update our satellite imagery. Last location we have spotted Daft Capo was in Yokohama. We will inform you on the updated data as soon as we get it." cautioned Kowalski as he placed the earlier picture inside the folder before closing the thing.

"...I must say, the capabilities of the mundane present technological contraptions can be quite unexpected, so to say." commented Gundham.

"….Yeah, didn't know about this either. It's kinda spooky to be honest, but it could be a useful tool for us." added Nekomaru while thinking about the future usage of the Internet in their fight against the mafia.

"So, Muchacho, what will you say?" piqued Skipper while offering him his flipper.

"Now you've got me on my side!" answered "Nekomaru, giving him a hand as they shook. "...but wait, there's something I need to address...why I came here in the first place…."

"Yeah?" blurted out Skipper.

"I almost forgot….THAT I NEED TO TAKE A SHIT!" reminded Nekomaru, already holding it off for quite some time.

"Boys, we gotta move out!" ordered Skipper as they, along with Gundham, removed themselves from the bathroom as they stepped outside and closed the door. Thus they waited for the newest member of The Fellowship of Darkness to do his thing and join them.

"Fellow avian, would you mind giving me the item of great knowledge? It would be quite a solid use to my minions." quietly asked Gundham for the folder that Kowalski had in his possession.

"I'm afraid not, Gundham. There is still a lot of missing information….plus documents from our Copenhagen expedition are here...not something we would want to reveal publicly." denied Kowalski as he gave out the folder to Rico, who, as expected of him, ate it. Gundham wondered how could a penguin's stomach be used as a storage upon witnessing Rico's action.

"I see. Certain secrets are, indeed, too shameful to reveal upon the world." said Gundham as he watched the emptiness of halls. Suddenly, Nekomaru's voice could be heard from the bathroom. In response, they turned towards the door.

"Guys….there's no toilet paper!" requested Nekomaru inside the bathroom.

"Rico!" ordered Skipper immediately after hearing Nekomaru's request as he pointed at his colleague. Rico, without hesitation, went inside the bathroom and gave him a toilet paper roll. After doing the task, Rico returned towards the waiting gang. The sound of a flushed toilet was heard as Nekomaru returned to them, feeling quite satisfied.

"Looks like the time is running low upon us. This concludes our meeting for now." said Gundham as he and Nekomaru turned towards the direction of the dining hall.

"After classes, deal?" offered Skipper, giving them a time to meet up again.

"Deal!" approved Nekomaru.

"We shall meet again!" said Gundham just before they went their own ways. Both Gundham and Nekomaru were feeling quite malnourished, but they didn't have much time to have a large meal as their classes were about to resume soon.

Meanwhile, as the students of both class 77-B and class 78th (including Zapatta, Suifta and Figottoni) were eating their meals in the dining hall, two individuals with the most questionable hairstyles, who went by the names of Yasuhiro (the afro guy) and Mondo (the pompadour guy), were inspecting the hall of the school, specifically the locations where Makoto and Sayaka were attacked and where the group from 77-B slipped over the wet floor. It seemed like the floor dried out from that day, being safe to walk on once again.

"So, both Sayaka and Makoto said that the octopus was there…." Yasuhiro stated the obvious.

"Yeah, it's been goin' around all over our class. Guys at 77-B couldn't stop talking about it, like holy hell." mentioned Mondo, scratching behind his head as he felt rather confused about the situation. He looked for clues while Yasuhiro stood there like a meerkat, observing the surroundings.

"You know, I have a lot of questions regarding that octopus." said Yasuhiro, already preparing some of the questions for octopus.

"...For the love of god, don't involve the goddamn aliens in this shit." sighed Mondo, being reminded on what happened with him and a certain rockstar few days ago.

"N-no, I mean like, how does it walk on land so seamlessly? Pretty sure it would have some issues with it, right?" clarified Yasuhiro, trying to not get on Mondo's bad side.

"Yeah...but now we should focus on finding that bastard." reminded Mondo, continuing his search for clues.

"Well, that should be no issue! I can predict that it's gonna be somewhere here! Once it pops out, I'm gonna ask some questions about it!" said Yasuhiro as he had a little laugh, imagining how would his plan go.

"….Good luck, with that." doubted Mondo, feeling rather irritated being around Yasuhiro. The search continued when suddenly, a miniature UFO appeared right in front of Yasuhiro's face. It was flailing around as if someone jingled keys in front of a baby.

"Oooooooooooooo, give me…burger!" spoke the unknown voice as the UFO continued flailing around.

"UWA-" gasped Yasuhiro as he had the expression of the most frightened man on Earth on his face, only for it to fade out once he saw that the little UFO toy was attached to a really wide string. Despite his realization, the small toy kept jingling around.

….Haha! You thought you could scare me like that, but not with a fake such as this! This is faker than a reality TV show!" he laughed as his fear went completely away, only for him to look at Mondo, who pointed above him with his index finger while he was seen completely shocked at what he saw. Yasuhiro looked above, where he found the origin of the jingling UFO toy: a tentacle arm, sticking right out of his hair.

"I-it's….IT'S..." yelped Yasuhiro when he saw the tentacle as he was about to yell all of his conspiracies about extraterrestrials.

"IT'S THE GODDAMN OCTOPUS!" shouted Mondo in both anger and surprise as he rushed towards Yasuhiro, trying to pull out the octopus as quickly as he could. Suddenly, Herman propelled himself out of Yasuhiro's afro, aiming right at Mondo. He managed to land on top of Mondo's pompadour before he used it like a springboard to launch himself to the ceiling. Mondo couldn't even react in time due to Herman's quickness, only thing he could do is look at Herman, who was on the ceiling like a bat.

"GET DOWN THERE, YOU BASTARD!" furiously demanded Mondo as he shook his fist at him. Herman ducked down while inverted in response.

"WHY YOU-" seethed Mondo, filled with all the fury he had in his heart.

"Why I? I, you say? Because I! Hahahahahaha!" taunted Herman, making all kinds of melodramatic poses before he dashed off while laughing. Mondo was already prepared to chase him down, but Yasuhiro ran towards him first, surprising him a little.

"Wait wait wait! Hold on a sec, Mr. Octopus!" requested Yasuhiro as his hand reached for him, but despite his inability to actually grab him, he did manage to stop Herman for a moment.

"DAMN IT, now is not the time for the fuckin' question!" condemned Mondo, clenching his teeth from sheer anger.

"Yo, what's up?" asked Herman completely casually.

"How can you walk on land so easily? Like, you need water after some time, right?" asked Yasuhiro in a rush as he felt like he could lose his chance at any time.

"My afro man, I work on one principle: I don't give a fuck! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" revealed Herman, cackling he usually does as he ran away on the ceiling. Mondo committed to giving him a chase, but Herman was always in the lead. He attempted to jump a few times to catch the octopus, but every attempt ended in failure. When they reached one of the windows, Herman jumped from the ceiling as he landed on the handle, opening it before he leaped outside.

"Bye bye!" gibed Herman before he turned away and rushed outside towards the unknown. When Mondo reached the window, he completely lost the sight of Herman outside. With his frustrations peaking up, Mondo punched the nearest wall, although he initially aimed for the window. After leaving a slight hole in the wall, Mondo calmed down and realized that Herman was still outside, still enabling them to catch him, but not before regret about damaging the wall flooded his mind first.

"Damn it!" he blurted out, at both damaging the wall and not managing to capture Herman at the same time. Yasuhiro eventually joined him up, wondering where the octopus went.

"Well, my prediction was right..." commented Yasuhiro, seemingly not reacting too drastically towards the hole in the wall.

"He was there….I have to report it to them!" declared Mondo as he quickly rushed towards the dining hall, wanting to report the sighting of the octopus. As the biker gang leader ran across the halls, the fellow students were still eating their meals. However, one particular girl was looking at her fancy but empty tea cup as if she wanted to do something with it.

"Huh, he's supposed to be there. I wonder what's been taking him so long?" wondered Celestia Ludenberg, having her desire for tea still prevalent. Not much time passed until Mondo entered the dining hall, being slightly out of breath due to all the running he had to do. His entrance did surprise nearly everyone in the place.

"Dudes, I saw him! He's outside!" reported Mondo, pointing at outside. The students of both classes quickly stood up in response, joining his quest to capture the octopus. Only Zapatta and Suifta remained seated while Figottoni served drinks at his "bar".

"It's our time now!" grinned Nekomaru at Gundham, knowing what to do. All of the students bar that trio dashed outside, following Mondo. When they left the dining hall, it felt rather strange for the trio due to sudden emptiness of it.

"Hey, where are they going?" asked Zapatta after witnessing the great rushing out of dining hall of that day.

"Dunno, man. Do you think we should check out?" answered Suifta, while not as surprised as Zapatta but it was still not exactly something she could predict. Figottoni remained silent as he continued cleaning glasses for drinks.

"I am a little thirsty right now...like, haven't drank anything since morning! Figottoni, bring me something for a true ROCKSTAR!" said Zapatta before turning towards his bartender friend.

"Aight, I suppose I could get a refresher as well. Figottoni, may I have something funky fresh?" calmly requested Suifta as Figottoni prepared their drinks exactly as they wanted them to be.

Meanwhile, outside of Hope's Peak Academy, there was a stand nearby. Some kind of heavily stylized comics were placed on the table, waiting to be picked up. The person in charge of the stand was Hifumi Yamada, who was proudly standing like he was the first man to step on the moon.

"Haha, yes! This is a brilliant idea, done none other than a genius like me! It is so genius, that even William Shakespeare would say "Oh, Hifumi Yamada-san, your brain is big like love between Romeo and Juliet!" I will become rich!" mused Hifumi to himself, imaging to be considered to be a master of all masters in terms of writers and artists alike. Suddenly, Herman casually strolled by before spotting the stand and deciding to check it out.

"Oh, hello there! I must say you're a quite unexpected customer! Would you take a look at my wonderful work?" nonchalantly greeted Hifumi, dealing with the octopus on land as if he were just another ordinary man.

"Eyy, what'cha got there, bruv?" asked Herman before he took one of the comics, taking a closer look at it. Suddenly, something changed within Herman when he saw the front page of the comic. He squinted when he saw the title "Princess Piggies' Schooltacular Adventure" on it, along with the drawing of some pink haired girl visiting a school similar to Hope's Peak academy. Then, he snappily tilted his head as he saw R rating on the cover, going from squinting to having his eyes filled with sudden rage. What sealed the deal for him were the tags at the bottom of the cover, which said:

"Warning! Very lewd content!"

"_May feature tentacles!"_

"...Well, would you be interested in buying it?" asked Hifumi, not seeing that Herman was practically twitching and trembling from sheer fury at just looking at Hifumi's manga.

A moment of uncertain calm followed as Hifumi took at look at Herman, being confused at his reaction.

...

"**FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK AAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEE!**" _roared _Herman as he started using his tentacle arms like a gorilla smacking its chest. He continued to make incomprehensible octopus noises during his episode.

"First of all, that's not an anime, it's a manga! Second of all, it's called dōjinshi!" corrected Hifumi amid Herman's rage, but was quickly silence by Herman flipping his table just by his tentacles, destroying it in the process.

"YEEEOW!" yelped Hifumi at the sight of stand's destruction before Herman rolled his manga like a news paper and leaped right at him. When he landed, he started rapidly smacking his face with his very own creation. Each hit stung, as the speed of strikes kept increasing. After some time of smackdown, Herman delivered the final decisive blow in Hifumi's face, making him spin around like a ballerina before he fell right on his back, feeling quite dizzy. Herman left the scene still making incomprehensible furious octopus noises, leaving the entire academy for that day.

Both classes managed to exit the academy as their search for Herman began. However, Aoi Asahina quickly found out Hifumi lying on the ground near a destroyed stand. Startled by such sight, she directed everyone towards the dizzy student as all of them rushed towards him.

"Where is my royal milk tea, Hifumi?" demanded Celestia Ludenberg, not even wasting a second about her precious tea.

"Seriously?! He's all injured and your first concern is your tea?!" condemned Aoi, actually feeling quite angry regarding her gothic classmate.

"A person of the nobility must be served first. Don't you agree?" countered Celestia with a smile on her face. A smile that had the aura of dishonesty around it.

"You sure have….wonderful priorities, don't you?" deadpanned Hajime when he heard Celestia's reasoning.

"Hifumi, are you alright?" asked Chiaki as she, Aoi and Mikan checked on him to see if he's alright.

"Physically...yeah...but my dignity has been wrecked." answered Hifumi, confirming that the incident took a blow on his ego.

"You're saying as if you've had any dignity in the first place!" sassed Hiyoko, giggling at the idea that Hifumi had any remote dignity within, considering his work. Celestia also chuckled at that idea.

"Hifumi, what happened?" asked Makoto.

"Well….an octopus attacked me..." started Hifumi, to which he received nearly universal responses of frustration and desperation from fellow students.

"Not again…." lamented Mahiru, clenching her fist at their seeming inability to stop that certain animal.

"Damn it, that bastard got away with it again!" fumed Mondo.

"Yeah….he was really furious..."continued Hifumi, where he revealed one tiny detail that threw everyone off guard. Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing that Herman, the lover of provocations, somehow got angry.

"Hold on for a moment, Hifumi..._he_ was furious?!" asked Hajime, genuinely feeling startled at imagining that octopus being remotely wrathful.

"...What the hell did you do?!" questioned Fuyuhiko, not sure if he should condemn Hifumi for whatever he did to Herman.

"Selling my work, of course!" answered Hifumi with some remaining pride.

"And why would Herman be angry over it?...I….kinda don't get it." commented Mahiru.

"Me neither, if I'm frank. It just happened. He just skipped to the final form and gave me a whooping." said Hifumi, feeling kinda down from looking at his destroyed. Behind his back, Hiyoko snatched one of his mangas and decided to have a little peek. If Chiaki's speech from before made her feel as she was tasting raw lemons, looking at Hifumi's manga made her feel like she was smelling durian.

"On the second thought, the octopus did the right thing by attacking you over this filth!" grumbled Hiyoko as she threw away Hifumi's manga somewhere else.

"Do you perhaps remember when he went? That could give us a hand in our fight against him." asked Sonia, trying to help her friends out as much as she could.

"Nope...not a slightest idea..." answered Hifumi, not giving them much hope. Suddenly, Gundham stepped in front of them as he struck a pose. Attention of both classes gathered around him, not expecting what is going to be his plan.

"FOURTH DARK DEVAS OF DESTRUCTION, SEEK THROUGH OUT THE AREA! FIND THE KRAKEN OF THE LAND!" he called as his hamsters jumped out and started inspecting the surroundings of the scene. The hamsters inspected every nook and crany, sniffed every inch to find their adversary. After some inspection, the Devas returned to their master as he crouched to get them on his hands.

"Have you found anything, my fellow Devas?" asked Gundham in a rather soft tone towards them. Judging from their disappointed expressions, the Supreme Overlord could tell that Herman left no trace behind when he completely left the scene. His hamsters hid themselves as he took care of them.

"It appears that the Kraken of the Land has withdrawn long gone, perhaps even concluding for today." said Gundham after the inspection as the frustrations rose up within their hearts. They were already imagining their days being soiled by that damned animal, however Nekomaru, Gundham and, to an extent, Chiaki resisted such thoughts, believing that failure should not demotivate them.

"O-oh dear...looks like the cycle is going to continue…." stuttered Mikan, already imagining her being sprayed in the face again. The anxiety within their group also started to escalate.

"C'mon, guys! Don't throw the towel just yet! Just because we couldn't get him today doesn't mean we can't strike back tomorrow!" scolded Nekomaru as he stepped in, reminding them what he told them in the morning. His words did decrease their frustrations as it turned into the determination to stop him once and for all.

"...That's right, we can't give up. We have to do this together." added Chiaki, raising their hopes up as well.

"A battle lost does not equate into a total defeat! What must we do is to adapt!" advised Gundham, completely defeating their doubts.

"Yes! We are going to defeat the octopus!" cheered everyone as they raised their fists in the air, fully determined to show Herman what does it mean to be a student of Hope's Peak academy.

"Why am I dealing with those morons now? I could have had my tea already by now." thought Celestia to herself while she faked her excitement.

"But for now...lets return to our classes, shall we?" recommended Nekomaru as all of them returned inside to their respective classes. Little did they know that they were watched by Nagito from behind, who was covertly enjoying their moment. He also returned inside, satisfied with what happened.

The day passed as their classes came to an end. Students of Hope's Peak academy left their school in order to get home. However, sole two exceptions were Nekomaru Nidarai and Gundham Tanaka, who remained in school as they sneaked in the bathroom, awaiting their meeting with bird. colleagues.

"Penguins!" called out Nekomaru, to which penguins responded immediately. They quickly arrived to them as they greeted them with waving flippers.

"Status!" demanded Skipper as he pointed directly at them.

"Bad news, guys. He's struck again, full physical this time!" reported Nekomaru, sounding kind of concerned about the deal.

"By the all dams around the world, he's done it again! We have to be quick!" cursed Skipper before he advised his colleagues to speed it up.

"Sir, we still have to bring all the equipment in our base and we have discovered some structural issues with Tunnel Four. It will take us some time before we can perform counter-Herman activities." noted Kowalski on why they couldn't be active, considering their stuff with the underground base.

"We should discuss our plans to vanquish the Kraken of the Land. Faster we come up with strategy and tactics against him, smoother will it go." addressed Gundham, giving them a point to talk about.

"Don't worry about tactics, Overlord. We got him all figured out in a battle. One word of advice though if you manage to cross the ways with him: expect the unexpected!" boastfully reassured Skipper, remembering all the battles with him.

"That should be no issue. It is the most pragmatic of lives to have the highest chance of survival, but there is something I feel should be pointed out when it comes to our general strategy." gloated Gundham before raising another point.

"Spit it out, my man!" approved Skipper.

"From where does Herman infiltrate this facility? That kind of intel should be crucial to our operations." asked Gundham, making all of them think about it.

"I propose a hypothesis. Herman uses two kinds of entrances: air ducts and toilets. His size makes it perfect to use such narrow places to sneak in and then safely begin his mischief." said Kowalski while he pointed at the toilets as a part of his hypothesis.

"Yeah, that makes sense. A logical conclusion would be blocking the entrances, but that would cause a lot of trouble for the school." commented Nekomaru before backing off from his suggestion.

"Those are, indeed, the most probable entrances, but what if he figures it out and then switches the entrances sporadically? He could see a pattern in our dirty deeds and then counter harder than a divine intervention!" informed Gundham

"That's a good point, I gotta say. Kowalski, what is your suggestion?" admitted Skipper before giving his colleague the main word.

"Then the best thing to do is to track him down while he's still in the academy. That wouldn't mean directly following him, but rather placing some kind of equipment around the school. What exactly is going to be is something I have yet to come up with. I will tell you about it soon." elaborated Kowalski before he gave them a new time for another meeting.

"For now, that should be all. We are gonna see each other tomorrow again...It's getting kind of late." cautioned Nekomaru while approving another meeting. Gundham agreed with him as both of them faced penguins for the last time for the day.

"Alright then. I must thank you both for providing aid against Daft Capo. You will be remembered honorably. Dismissed!" thanked Skipper as he gave them a salute. Other penguins saluted as well before they departed, finally going home after a long day.

Meanwhile, as the sun was about to set, Chisa was sitting near principal's office, anxiously holding folders as she looked at the ceiling, hoping for the best outcome. However, she couldn't let go of her worries, expressed by her sometimes biting a nail on her thumb. Suddenly, a man with a mustache and a hat walked by, sitting on a chair next to her. It was another teacher of Hope's Peak academy, who went by the name Koichi Kizakura.

"Not as bouncy like a bunny as usual today, aren't you, Chisa?" joked Koichi Kizakura, trying to lighten her up, though it did bother him a little that she was like that.

"Oh hey, Kizakura...This day has been rather...strange." greeted Chisa in a rather somber tone.

"Is there an issue with the class?" asked Kizakura, assuming that it was related to that.

"No, not that. My class has been wonderful! Just that...something is causing me to heavily worry about their safety." answered Chisa with a small burst of happiness when she mentioned her class, but her worries returned when she continued.

"What could that be? This school is one of the safest of all in Japan, there shouldn't be an overwhelming concern, aside from pranks of an octopus...or so I have heard." further piqued Kizakura, having a slight idea what could be going on.

"It's that...they mentioned some kind of mafia by the name of Daft Capo and how they plan to take over the school. It might have been just their imagination going wild, but they sounded...pretty serious about it." fully admitted Chisa while remembering how her students were in the morning. Even at such time, she distinctively remember Chiaki's weary eyes and how much it genuinely hurt seeing her like that.

"A mafia? That's a new one. Why would a mafia have a beef with this school?" said Kizakura, slightly amused at the idea of mafia going up against Hope's Peak. "That name sure is something as well. I expected at the very least some "Syndicate" or something."

"I….don't know to be honest. Sounds pretty crazy, doesn't it?" lamented Chisa while giving him a somber smile.

"Here's my suggestion, Yukizome. If the mafia does appear, I'd say our best option is to report them to authorities. While I don't think it will be a 100% reliable choice, but it is your best bet." advised Kizakura as he gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"...I will do everything to protect my students. Even if it costs my life, I will do anything to ensure their safety. Protect them from the evils of this world….I just want to give them memories they would cherish..." suddenly stressed Chisa as her worries were reaching the peak.

"Now, now, Chisa. Don't push yourself too much. I mean, you've already one of the most active teachers in this school!...Perhaps a little too active. I promise you that things are going to be fine. The school will do everything to protect its students." reassured Kizakura. His voice did manage to calm down Chisa's heart as her rational thought returned.

"...Thank you, Kizakura. You're always someone who's here at the right time…" simpered Chisa, feeling much more relaxed than before.

"Heh. Now take a rest, Yukizome. I'll talk to the principal about it." advised Kizakura as he went inside principal's office instead. Chisa nodded, stood up and walked away, deciding to go home. During her journey home, she imagined her class doing activities they considered to be fun, but one girl was especially apparent in her mind: Chiaki Nanami.

However, neither of them knew that Herman was residing in one of the dark air vents, spying on them during the conversation. When she mentioned the name of a certain mafia, he squinted hard with his eyes, suspecting something about her.

"….How did you find that out, Miss?" he quietly asked to himself as he watched her go home. He remained there until he slithered in the dark, going towards the unknown destination.


	6. Silly things happen

The academy was greeted by the ever-growing clouds above it, darkening everything beneath it. Slight gust of cold wind gently swayed the leaves of the nearby trees. On the main pathway to the school, one person, dressed in their usual apron, was running on it as fast as they could. That person was Chisa Yukizome, holding some kind of briefcase while she was dashing. Although a toast in her mouth was missing, which is allegedly something that girls do when they're late (key word being allegedly), she was chugging a cup of ice coffee instead. It was either a miracle or she knew how to to drink while running without spilling herself.

"Oh no! I'm being late to the class!" hastily thought Chisa to herself as she sipped the coffee for the last time before throwing the empty cup into the nearest trash can, dashing off towards the school as quickly as she could. "My reputation as a teacher is going to be ruined!"

Meanwhile, Chiaki and Sonia were sitting together on the bench near the fountain, both of them playing dual screen handhelds at the same time. Both of them were rather intensely tapping on the buttons as they were playing the game.

"Yes! Smite them down with all the power you have!" cheered Sonia with her eyes sparkling in joy while playing the game. Chiaki remained quiet, but she was absolutely determined to defeat any threats in it, tapping on buttons with lightning speed.

They were playing a cutesy platformer game where a round pink puffball was the main character, going through a boss rush mode. Credit to them, they were playing on the hardest difficulty, the one that makes beginners break their consoles in frustration. Their current opponent in the game was a decently sized silver mechanical mantis shrimp, capable of firing rockets along with the sound based projectiles, which could deal massive damage to its unfortunate victims. Both puffballs, already having some damage from the attacks, were duking it out with the metallic crustacean on the screens of both handhelds.

While they continued playing games, Chisa stopped by after a long session of sprinting towards the school, gasping for some air. Chugged ice coffee didn't help her either, only making her feel slight stomach ache.

"Good morning, Miss Yukizome!" greeted Sonia upon seeing her teacher taking some breaths. When Chisa Yukizome saw both of them, she felt a little bit of panic inside of her, thinking that she was being late.

"Eeek! Pardon me, Sonia, but can you tell me the time, pretty please?" asked Chisa after being startled by their appearance. She quickly approached them, running like a lady searching for the last deluxe perfume in the store.

"Oh, it's currently 6:30 AM but there's one thing that I've noticed….a little bit too late." answered Sonia, unknowingly causing a slight spike of anxiety for the poor Chisa.

"Oh noooooooooo, here goes my status as a-" gulped Chisa, facing the inevitable as she covertly bit her lip.

"Our classes start at 8:30 AM today!" revealed Sonia with a rather dramatic flair in her words, as if she was announcing something in front of thousands of people. When Chisa heard that, the anxiety within her severely lowered, but she couldn't help to feel like a big doofus that day. Her expression complimented the sheer dumbfounded feelings circulating inside her mind.

"….oh." faltered Chisa with the same dumbfounded face she had before she returned to her usual cheery and peppy self. "Whoopsie, I think my schedule got mixed up today!"

"I glanced over my schedule and I looked at the wrong date. Not only that, but I still need to get used to Japan's system, but not all is lost!" added Sonia, relating to her teacher's mixed up schedule issue. After the problem got resolved, she turned towards Chiaki, who still had her attention knee deep in the video game, tapping the buttons with same quickness as before.

"Nanami!" called Sonia in order to gain her attention, but to no avail as her dork of a friend was still playing the game, trying to defeat the boss while Sonia's character took a backseat.

"Nanaaaaaamiiiiiii!~" shouted Sonia once again, with Chisa joining in as well. After hearing both of them, Chiaki quickly looked at them, slightly embarrassing herself for not responding fast enough.

"Sorry, just got really focused in the game. I kind of just….forgot about today's schedule. Thought it would be a good idea to go early, just to not be late." apologized Chiaki before she added some of her own thoughts, but not after taking some time trying to come up with the right words.

"Glad that everything turned out to be okay! So, anyway, what are you two girls up to?" reassured Chisa as she turned her attention towards the handhelds. Chiaki had a pink one while Sonia had a dark teal one.

"We are playing this game called Pinkie Boye: Stargang Saga. It's really cute and easy to get into, but it can provide a challenge when it wants to. Miss Chiaki introduced me to it today and it's hella cool! Just like I've heard many times, Japan is amazing at making games!" explained Sonia as her eyes started to sparkle during it. Chiaki blushed a little when her princess friend referred her with such strong title.

"I don't think I deserve such title, Sonia." hesitated Chiaki while giving out a sheepish but genuine smile.

"Oh, I played the Pinkie Boye 64: Dreams of Hope when I was young girl. I also remember being fascinated by the protagonist, Pinkie Boye himself. Was quite a fangirl, did a lot of drawings of him. I have kept some of them and it's…yeah." chuckled Chisa while remembering the good old times of being a child. She slightly blushed when the memories of her drawings pictured themselves in her mind.

"You're a Pinkie Boye fan as well?!" Chiaki suddenly jumped off from the bench, surprising both of them around her. She looked rather intensely in her teacher's eyes, as if she wanted something from her like a child going through a toy store.

"W-well, yes, I am-" answered Chisa as she let out an unsure giggle.

"Pinkie Boye 64 is an absolute classic! It was released in 2000 and it was first of the Pinkie Boye games to be in 3D! With its groundbreaking graphics and tight controls, it's still very fun to play even to this day! I'd say that it's still the best one in the franchise already filled with great games! Pinkie Boye is cool, but my favorite character in the game is the fairy princess Moriana, who helps you on the journey against the evil forces of Darkspekter, who seek to-" gushed Chiaki while hopping in a place like a little bunny. Her tangent came off as a surprise for both Chisa and Sonia, as they were mostly used seeing her being rather calm, if not passive all around. When Chiaki accidentally glanced over during her tangent, she saw both of them being stunned. In response, she stopped her tangent, returning to her usual calm self, and sat down on the bench.

"...Sorry, I went a little overboard." apologized Chiaki, staring at the ground from slight embarrassment.

"Nah, it's fine, Nanami. It's great to have a strong passion like this!" reassured Chisa. Seemingly, Chiaki's little tangent drastically improved the mood of her teacher as she was even more peppy than before.

"Teach me more about the Pinkie Boye!" requested Sonia, being absolutely thrilled after hearing Chiaki's gushing.

"But I don't think this will get me anywhere..." doubted Chiaki, attempting to look either of them in the eyes, but she just couldn't bring herself to.

"C'mon, don't say such stuff to yourself!" pouted Chisa, leaning towards her student and looking her right in the eyes. "You can do a lot of stuff with video games alone!"

"Really?" asked Chiaki, still feeling rather unsure about herself.

"Yes, really!" restated Chisa with sheer confidence in her voice before she placed her hand on Chiaki's shoulder, leaning even closer than before. "Don't worry about it, Chiaki." You're already doing good. Just be yourself and I'm sure everything will turn out to be okay."

Upon hearing what her teacher said to her, a radiant smile appeared on Chiaki's face, knowing that there's someone who's proud of her.

"Mind if I join in for a bit? There's a lot of time for us to spend!" asked Chisa as she stepped behind the bench to see the game they were playing through out the entire time.

"You're always welcome, Miss Yukizome!" welcomed Sonia with open arms.

"Hehehe~." giggled Chisa as she got red in the face. "I've got some well mannered students in my class!"

And so Chisa Yukizome watched both of them continuing playing the game. It seemed that both of them defeated the mechanical crustacean as they were currently facing a new boss: a giant cosmic manta ray, capable of manifesting energy of the stars. Unlike the boss before, girls fought him in a different way: they were piloting some streamlined white spacecraft, similar to the ones seen in many futuristic anime.

"Go get him! Go get him!" the teacher cheered, shaking her fists while watching Pinkie Boye and his friend maneuvering around the ray crossing through the universe itself, firing defensive blasts of gamma rays in response. Despite having the potential to complete ruin their run with a single hit, the attacks were highly telegraphed by the glowing teal spots on the being's back. When the opportunity arose, Pinkie Boye and his friend could strike back at the weak spots of the boss with their "light beams", powered by the power of love, friendship and especially severely violent and unstable plasma discharge, which both greatly heated up and accelerated the projectiles used by spacecraft's cannons.

The virtual battle raged as both the players and a spectator focused only on the events that happened on the screen. Meanwhile, two men of various statures, both dressed in dark clothing, strutted on their way to the school. They were none other than Gundham and Nekomaru, who bypassed them without the girls even noticing. As they arrived near the entrance of the school, both of them stopped and turned their backs, crossing their arms as they let out some poses worthy of many showmen.

"Fuwahahahaha!" Gundham let out a laugh, one worthy of a villain.

"Mwahahahahaha!" joined Nekomaru as well with his boisterous laugh.

"Great impression for an apprentice, but you still need to practice! You should let out with all the vigor you have and strike fear in the hearts of the weak like a sole ruling lion roaring through out the savannah!" praised Gundham with a smirk on his face.

"That's good to hear! But now, what is our plan exactly again?" asked Nekomaru, not remembering all the wizard jargon that his colleague loves to us.

"We shall gather the mortals around here and make them join our side by the words that shall persuade their minds!" elaborated Gundham in the only way a Supreme Overlord would.

"Wait, didn't we achieve that yesterday?" perplexed Nekomaru, remembering the events quite clearly.

"Correct, but that was a move to pull them out of the defeat. We need to feed them some resolve, so that they could face the Kraken of the Land with ease." proposed Gundham, since he believed that Herman could strike at any moment, even at their current time.

"Aw yeah, I approve that!" said Nekomaru before letting out another chuckle.

"Heyooo, booooys!" greeted Chisa, suddenly approaching them to see what are they up to.

"Yo, Miss Yukizome!" responded Nekomaru in a normal tone.

"I see that the sorceresses of the Hope's peak have already gathered around." commented Gundham, taking a look at Chiaki and Sonia playing together.

"I am a sorceress and I don't know yet? Wow, that is so cool! What power would I have?" wondered Sonia as her imagination went wild about her having covert magical powers would she have.

"If you were in an RPG, you would be a white mage. A perfect fit….I think." Chiaki gave out an answer, trying to imagine her as that aforementioned role.

"Oh yes! With my light powers, I shall make everyone's day brighter!" Sonia took her friend's words as a compliment, raising her fist up in the air.

"Are you two cooking up another evil plan to take over the world?" asked Chisa as she suddenly started to act like a hammy evil witch, who also tried to take over the world. She placed her arm in front of her face in order to give an impression of "hiding her true form".

"Mwahahaha! Of course, but that is currently postponed, as we have to tackle the greater threat first! The mortals should come quickly because the fated time is running out!" boasted Gundham, striking a pose as some kind of counterattack, to see which of them could stand on top as the biggest villainous force in Hope's Peak academy.

"I see, I see! Even the vilest of villains must group together with mortals when a greater threat surfaces! Kyahahaha!" cackled Chisa before striking another pose, worthy of a villain. However, after her initial conversation, she seemed to drop the act and went back to her usual self. Chisa returned to video game playing girls and continued spectating, but here and there she gave some word to the men in dark, who were having a conversation about daily life and routines. Even though Gundam had no restraints using his usual "wizard jargon", the conversation with Nekomaru went rather smoothly. Meanwhile, the girls defeated the manta ray boss as their characters were transported to the rest area, where they could prepare themselves for another tougher boss. Only a silhouette was displayed of it, but it showed some kind of metallic dragon, armed with plasma cannons and missiles. None than less, the girls continued with the boss rush.

Some time passed after Gundham and Nekomaru's arrived, the time being right about 8:10, just enough time for anyone to prepare themselves for the class of the day. The students of class 77-B gathered around both of them, waiting for whatever the men in dark will give them. Not many of them were amused by their antics, just wanting to start the day normally (and without cephalopod attacks).

"What is going on?" asked Hajime, being rather confused at seeing Gundham and Nekomaru posing like two musician that were just moments away from starting their performance.

"Gundham is having a speech, apparently." answered Mahiru with her arms crossed, wanting to just go inside the school and let the day be an average one for once.

"Oh...oh dear…." sighed Hajime, already knowing how the events will go down.

"Do we really have to do this?" asked Kazuichi as he placed his arm on his cap covered forehead, lacking any mood to listen to announcements, especially by Gundham.

"Yes! He is going to drop some forbidden knowledge upon us!" beamed Sonia, being one of the few classmates that were genuinely excited for Gundham's speech.

"More like an eternal amount of nonsense." thought Hajime to himself as he glanced over Sonia being all cheerful for it. Mahiru, while sharing a similar sentiment as the tall ahoge boy, tried to have a normal expression on her face as an attempt to endure any ridiculousness thrown by her wizard classmate.

"Can we just go already? I don't have time for this garbage!" grumbled Hiyoko while attempting to just barge in the school, but was unknowingly prevented by the students who stood before her.

"But wait! It's about to start! Ibuki knows this because he is making poses and when someone starts making poses, you know things are about to go down!" noted Ibuki, pointing directly at Gundham while also making Hiyoko stop.

"Urghhhhh…." Hiyoko rolled with her eyes in "defeat", forcing herself to be there just so that no one would pull a "Zapatta" on her. As they were still waiting for students in dark to start, Teruteru sneaked in between Hajime and Mahiru, armed with a frying pan. He was constantly looking left and right, just in case of an attack.

"Aren't you taking this a little too far?" scolded Mahiru, squinting at him for such behavior. Teruteru jumped from surprise at someone even noticing his erratic mannerisms.

"Non non non, everything is fine, I swear!" denied Teruteru as his mood quickly changed from a paranoiac to happy go-lucky chef that he usually is on good days. Suddenly, amid either confused or a bit excited crowd, barged in a person who was not only excited for Gundham's speech, but so pumped up that even the students that were eagerly anticipating were kind of put off guard by that individual.

It was none other than Nagito.

"This is going to be great!" cheered Nagito with his arms spread at the close enough distance to not disturb anybody around him.

The time was up. Gundham Tanaka turned his back at his fellow students for the dramatic effect as the wind gently swayed his scarf. He raised his arm to make an even more imposing pose, to which only Mikan was truly scared of. Thus, the Supreme Overlord spoke:

"Fuwahahahahaha! Have the unforeseen circumstances not given you the desired fortune?! Have the forces above decided to smite you with humiliation?!"

"….Yeah, I guess." said Hajime in order to not stall out his speech, because everyone else had nothing to say due either bafflement or awe (in some cases).

"All the time, heh." added Nagito with an odd smile on his face.

"Fear not, because I, the Supreme Overlord GUNDHAM TANAKA, along with my apprentice have come up with a plan to turn the tide of fate into your favor! The unexpected shall be expected, even countered! Whatever the puny adversaries will throw at us, we shall strike harder! This moment shall mark our defiance as we will laugh at the forces above, right in their faces!" boastfully continued Gundham, shaking his wrapped up arm as if it was possessed with a grin on his face. Then he just stopped with the speech altogether, standing awkwardly in front of everyone as the silence followed.

"...Is that all?" asked Hajime, not being surprised about both the main event and outcome at all.

"Yes, that would be conclusion of my heart-chilling speech, which you have heard with your mortal ears. The Supreme Overlord was merciful enough to take consideration of your limited time on this realm of existence." admitted Gundham as he crossed his arms to look like a brooding overlord. In reality, he knew that he had to make it brief for everyone's sake, but he would love to go on tangents about darkness for hours. Another period of awkward silence followed.

"Hooray! Go Gundham, go Gundham!" Chisa broke the silence with the sudden cheering. Her motivational acts were similar to a true cheerleader. Sonia followed with the cheering as well, while Chiaki gave out a tiny applause for her wizard friend. The only one who also cheered at him and Nekomaru was Ibuki, but that was more of Ibuki being Ibuki. Everyone else just remained baffled at what they just heard with a lot of "Eh?" being thrown around.

"BOO! BOOOOOO! IT STINKS!" fumed Hiyoko like a wrestler fan at the sight of a heel.

"I-it wasn't that bad..." admitted Mikan while shaking like a leaf.

"WHO asked you for-" growled Hiyoko at her, only to be interrupted by an intense applause of a certain white haired individual.

"Bravo! Bravo! That was wonderful, Gundham! I hope such trash like me could hear your spine chilling words again!" bursted Nagito from sheer joy while causing nearly everyone around him, even Gundham, to be slightly disturbed by his behavior.

"Hey, Nagito. Can you...not self deprecate so much? It's getting weird...and concerning." chastised Mahiru, being both annoyed and worried about him at the same time.

"Oh, sorry about that. Sometimes it slips in." apologized Nagito, but it didn't help much because he just stared at his palm instead.

"Well, that was a load of shit." said Fuyuhiko as briefly as he could. "Don't make us waste it again."

"How much time did we lose now?" asked Kazuichi.

"It was about….uuhhh...five minutes?" checked Ibuki, turning towards Sonia in order to get accurate information and to not be late for the class.

"Not a huge loss, to be honest." shrugged Nekomaru, being satisfied with what his wizard friend said.

"Now let us welcome the day with our raised fists, mortals!" dared Gundham as both he and Nekomaru turned back, entering the school once and for all. Others followed them, some baffled and some motivated, as their day at school finally truly began. However, Nagito went in last, with a nefarious grin on his face.

"Seems like Hope's Peak is in the lead at the moment...I wonder what developments will happen next...Hehehehe..." thought Nagito to himself before shutting the entrance doors of the school.

Suddenly, on one of the trees around Hope's Peak academy, Herman stood on the branch after he changed his camouflage. He watched the exterior of the academy, thinking how he already outsmarted them by a long shot.

"Ha ha! Gottem!" laughed Herman before he pulled out a list of things he had planned for today. It was written that he was the one behind the mixed up schedules. "Now lets see what do I have for this day..."

Upon taking a closer look, he noticed something: he completely forgot to write a plan for that day.

"Oh shit! I've gotta improvise for today!" exclaimed Herman as his eyes widened before he placed the list away. "But what shall be on the menu today….Hmmmm..."

Herman sneaked inside, following his usual path to get in without being detected.

It was a completely normal day in the school. People in class 77-B did their stuff together like they always usually do. As the students read their textbooks and such, Chisa was just satisfied that she wasn't late or else she could have been potentially removed from the class, losing contact with her students. Not even Nagito had a story of cyclic fortune and misfortune to tell that day. To some students such as Hajime and Mahiru, the normality of the day was a breath of fresh air.

As the time passed by, the bell rang. Students of both class 77-B and 78th went to the dining hall, preparing themselves for a lunch break. However, as they went forward, Gundham and Nekomaru suddenly sneaked in men's bathroom, just like they gathered a day before.

"Kehehehe….it seems like my speech worked flawlessly. Those mortals shall soon become our minions, which shall do our bidding without a question or hesitation." smirked Gundham, believing that his speech has convinced others to join his side.

"Well, at least for half of them. Though gotta say, good job! You were on point today!" said Nekomaru, cracking up his fists as a sign of triumph before letting out a slight chuckle.

"Any numbers shall suffice as of now! Though the Fellowship of Darkness must obtain more personnel, otherwise Daft Capo might potentially overwhelm the puny mortals here." cautioned Gundham, reminding him that their quest is far from over. Suddenly, the doors of bathroom opened, causing Gundham to go in a fighting stance almost immediately. Nekomaru was just slightly startled in comparison. Both of them dropped their guard the moment when they identified the person who was behind opening that door: it was just Peko, their fellow swordswoman.

"...What are you two doing?" asked Peko, being absolutely perplexed towards their activites.

"Step inside to see, the One with the sword! You shall know the truth!" invited Gundham in order to get her join his organization

"But here is...kinda weird, to be honest." hesitated Peko. Considering the location of their meeting, it was no surprise.

"I know it's not the best place to do it, but it's something you gotta see!" insisted Nekomaru.

"...Alright. Just don't do anything suspicious." warned Peko, cautiously stepping inside the men's bathroom to see what were the men in dark up to. She held on a handle of her sword just in case either of them would attack them.

"Remember when I've said that you must see with your mortal eyes to believe?" reminded Gundham, giving her some memories of the day they first found out about Herman's allegiance.

"I think I do. I have to admit that it did got me curious on what you've meant." said Peko

"Well….we are gonna explain everything after you witness it. It might take...days." cautioned Nekomaru, knowing from his experience.

"Now...are you prepared, the one with the sword, for what you're about to see?" asked Gundham if she was ready for what was she about to see with her own eyes.

"I am prepared. Proceed with the action." confirmed Peko, crossing her arms with the same old stoic look on her face.

"Mwahahahaha…_.COME FORTH, AVIANS OF THE FARAWAY BLIZZARD_!" called out Gundham, shaking his arm as his voice boomed through out the bathroom.

"...What?" questioned Peko, being caught off guard for a bit when she heard who was her wizard classmate referring to. What followed afterwards was the last thing she even expected: four penguins, who jumped out of one of the toilets, striking a battle stance when they landed. All the stoicism Peko had in herself got thrown out of the window the moment she saw them, losing the grip on her handle as well.

"Overlord, what is the status no-" demanded Skipper before his eyes met the woman with the sword. Upon seeing her, he was immediately charmed by her looks.

"Oh my, seems like we are gonna get some hot babes on our side. Good catch there, Overlord, for we may need some ladies." flirted Skipper, but he only caused greater confusion for the girl.

"Hello!" casually greeted Private in the most innocent way possible, waving at her.

"...Penguins?" perplexed Peko as calmly as she could, but many emotions were had inside of her at the sight of the birds in the bathroom.

"Eyup, it's them. If you've got any questions, it's better to ask them" confirmed Nekomaru, offering her some advice as well.

"Do you see it now? Do you believe it now?" snickered Gundham, knowing that he was ahead of everyone in terms of "knowing what they are up to" department.

"What's the name of this lovely gal over here?" asked Skipper, but Peko was still in the quiet process of trying to understand what is going on, standing still like a confused statue.

"Oh, that's Peko for you!" Nekomaru introduced her to his avian colleagues in order to not stall out the conversation.

"Peko, like some kind of peck-o…I like the ring of it." commented Skipper while raising his eyebrow. Out of curiosity, Peko slowly approached them before crouching down to get a better look at them. Penguins observed the swordswoman as well, interested in her as well. Much to Skipper's surprise, Peko focused on Private the most because she thought he was the cutest, which a notion that other penguins do agree on. Suddenly, she gently tapped on Private's beak to see how would he react. She was slightly shocked to see Private smiling after her light touch, who then jumped on her shoulder out of a sudden, just to look cool. She slowly stood up with Private on her shoulder. Skipper pretended that he was some kind of photographer, making imaginary photos of her and his colleague.

"They...didn't even run away..." wondered Peko as she couldn't resist patting Private's head, which he seemed to like.

"Why would we run away at the sight of a pretty woman? The only one who runs away are our enemies!" gloated Skipper as he flexed with his flippers.

"Apologies about that remark, but animals tend to get scared when they see me. This was one of the first times that it hasn't happened." explained Peko about her history with fauna. Gundham, knowing how animals react around him, felt slight pity for her.

"I don't see why, you seem like a kind person." complimented Private in order to cheer her up a bit.

"...Thanks." smiled Peko at him. The smile of a swordwoman was not a common occurrence in the school.

"Anyway, what was the status again?" said Skipper, bringing back the original topic of their discussion.

"As of now, the fortune is in our hands. No offenses from the Kraken of the Land happened towards any of the mortals." reported Gundham with his arms crossed.

"Either you boys are being lucky or he's coming up with something big." suspected Skipper, feeling that the day so far has been a little too quiet.

"Yeah, I assume it's the latter as well. Would have been weird if he went radio silent today." agreed Nekomaru.

"Now, answer me this, the leader of the avians! Have you come up with a plan to strike back?" requested Gundham like if he was bargaining for a trade.

"Eyup, but we gotta discuss it after school. Kowalski brought up a lotta details for our plan." confirmed Skipper with sheer confidence in his voice. Upon hearing that, it all dawned upon Peko, everything from the day Gundham first told them about the mafia up to that moment.

"Wait, is this how you obtained all the information regarding that mafia?" piqued Peko, making sure that her realization is a correct one.

"Correct-a-mundo, pretty one. All the info regarding Daft Capo is right here!" casually confirmed Skipper, putting his flippers around his stomach like some kind of confident boss.

"Of all things….this was the last thing that I thought was going to happen." said Peko, being more confused than ever before.

"Mwahahaha! Expect the unexpected, as I said!" advised Gundham as he struck a pose with his raised villainous hand.

"I must inform you that we have still yet to find new information about the activities of Daft Capo in Japan. They're being good...real good at hiding." cautioned Kowalski as he raised his flipper.

"We could find more about them later. It would be valuable at any time." suggested Nekomaru.

"Not to disrupt, but can I address something?" asked Peko, thinking that it would be the best to bring up a certain "elephant in the room".

"Say it all you want, babe." offered Skipper without hesitation, flirting with her again.

"Can we...change the location of our hideout? It's...very strange here and kind of uncomfortable." requested Peko, not welcoming the prospect of going there every single time during the lunch break.

"...Right." said Skipper, already thinking on how to readjust the strategic locations of their anti-Daft Capo ops. Although the pipes of toilets provided easy access for them, it was not much beneficial for their human allies.

"As an addition to the one with the sword's request, I propose that we change it as well. If we overuse this unassuming place, the Kraken of the Land could figure out our patterns. All of our efforts would be rendered null." added Gundham, giving out another reason for the change.

"Not gonna lie, that's a pretty good point. Any ideas, boys?" admitted Skipper as he turned towards his penguin boys. Rico and Private had no idea for the future locations.

"Don't worry about it, as I've recently struck a good deal. It was for back up if our hideout under school gets discovered." interjected Kowalski with his idea.

"Kowalski, you truly are a MVP." praised Skipper as he gave Kowalski a tap on his shoulder.

"Aside from our plan, do you have anything to say, the leading one?" asked Gundham.

"Just one thing for this meeting. Hey, you there!" answered Skipper as he turned Peko, pointing his flipper at her "Would you mind joining The Fellowship of Darkness?"

"...The Fellowship of Darkness?" asked Peko another question from the pile of many.

"That's the name of our group, who's gonna kick those Daft Capo punksters right back to places where they still use metric!" explained Skipper, flexing with his flippers once again.

"But Sir, majority of the world uses the metric units for measurement, even Japan." corrected Kowalski in a quite impersonal tone.

"You know what I've meant, Kowalski!" nagged Skipper, thinking that Kowalski kind of tainted his boast.

"Heard that these guys have experience with fighting Daft Capo, that should definitely make things easier for us." added Nekomaru in order to ease her soul, but she was already going through the process of information overload. She just stood there quietly with her eyes closed, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together within her mind.

"...Give me a minute, please." she requested as the silence followed her words.

"Is there something a matter, Peko? What do you find strange?" asked Private, being rather concerned for his new ally.

"...Everything." blurted out Peko, still trying to comprehend the situation.

"Consider the following: if the Avians of the Faraway Blizzard fighting a mafia are such an abstract concept, wouldn't the same apply for the Kraken of the Land as well, whom you saw with your own eyes? Do you see the futility of analyzing such nature defying circumstances?!" reminded Gundham in his own way. Somehow, his words did give her an ease of mind.

"Now that I think about it...it...does?" admitted Peko as the stoicism she once had returned to her.

"Fuwahahahaha! Embrace the absurdity of the cosmos!" laughed Gundham, raising his triumphant fist up in the air.

"If this is what is required to defeat Daft Capo and to protect our class….then I shall join." avowed Peko after her grasp of understanding the situation got tighter. The membership of the Fellowship of Darkness was raised by one that day. Private jumped off her shoulder to join his bird fellas for her "welcoming ceremony".

"Welcome to the Fellowship, Peko! I hope that your service will be valuable." welcomed Skipper as every single penguin gave her a high five. Gundham and Nekomaru joined in the high five fest as well before the "welcoming ceremony" was over.

"So yeah, we meet again after school? We still haven't eaten anything." reminded Nekomaru after remembering that they're short on time.

"Eyup, just like we said." said Skipper before they concluded with the meeting, going their own way, but not before he gave out one of the trademark penguin catchphrases: "Cute and cuddly, boys. Cute and cuddly."

The penguins have left the scene, leaving three students behind in the bathroom. Soon afterwards, they have left the bathroom, planning to go to the dining hall next.

"...I need a drink." sighed Peko after the situation calmed down.

"Honestly same. Perhaps Figottoni will make us something refreshing!" suggested Nekomaru, relating to Peko's sentiment.

"I do want to see that cute little penguin again." Peko thought to herself, imagining

They have went off towards the dining hall, where all of the students from class 77-B and class 78th (including "outsiders" like Zapatta, Suifta and Figottoni) were already eating their meals. Peko went to Figottoni's improvised bar and ordered just a glass of water. Luckily for her, Fuyuhiko was around there. Meanwhile, Gundham and Nekomaru went their own ways for now, looking for desired food.

Lunch time passed with no significant events. As everyone went to their respective classes, Ibuki out of all people was still eating a sandwich. When she noticed that her time was up, she quickly stuffed the sandwich inside her mouth and started going to her class. Instead of rushing like a cheetah hunting its prey, she decided to take it easy and pranced on her way.

"Ta-ta-da-ra-ra! I-bu-ki go-nna go all over the world!~ And then she's gonna meet a lot-ta-" sang Ibuki to herself when suddenly, out of completely nowhere, a fish net from the ceiling fell on her, covering her completely.

"Oh? What's this?" wondered Ibuki, touching the net to see from what kind of materials was it made. When she tried to remove it, some kind of force pulled the net, completely capturing the musician in the process.

"WhoooooaAAAAA!" yelled Ibuki as she traversed through the air like she was carried by an ape swinging through the jungle. The perpetrator of "capture" carried her all the way back to the dining hall, where they taped it on the ceiling. Ibuki, caught in a net, was hanging in the middle of the dining hall, getting a panorama view of it.

"Am I now a fish? Is Teruteru gonna serve me up? If he does, I hope that the cute girls of both classes get a piece of me!" babbled Ibuki to herself while curiously looking down on the dining hall. Her cheerfulness was suddenly put to a halt when she saw a silhouette of a familiar being on the night, causing her to be quite spooked!

"Hahahaha! It was me all along!" Herman boastfully revealed himself, causing Ibuki to go in full panic mode.

"EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY, S.O.S, S.O.S, MAYDAY, MAYDAY! HE'S HEEEEEEEERE!" screamed Ibuki, imitating a tornado siren in the process.

"That's right, I have come! Let me tell you something..." began Herman, only to be interrupted by his victim's incoherent blabbering.

"Ooooooh noooooo! HehascomehehascomehehascomeIforgottoputspacesbetweenmywordsagain!" panicked Ibuki, flailing her arms in the limited space of the net. It was by then that Herman realized something was unorthodox: she wasn't angry at all (to be fair, not that anyone in the universe and beyond has seen a genuinely furious Ibuki at all), instead he felt great sense of dread inside of her. Dread that was quite real, much to his surprise.

"Wait...are you...genuinely spooked of me?" perplexed Herman as his eyes widened. He scratched himself with his tentacle arm, brainstorming on how to pull japes on her.

"Are you gonna take over the world with the help of Atlantis? Are there anymore octopuses who will take over the world? Do dolphin people know of this as well?" peppered Ibuki while she touched her face with shaking hands as she trembled. By then, Herman knew how to exploit the situation to his advantage.

"...Mwahahaha! I must inform you that I do not come from Atlantis, but rather from _Bologna!_" cackled Herman, casually revealing his roots right to her face as he raised his tentacle arm at her, intimidating her even more.

"B-Bologna?! So does that mean….you like baloney?" assumed Ibuki, trying her best in the so-called hostage situation.

"Yes, I do like baloney. Very much so! But there is one baloney I particularly love to eat!" continued Herman as he climbed around her as a confusion tactic.

"I-is it human made? Please, don't let be human made!" begged Ibuki, crying out of nowhere. Tears might have been a little exaggerated, though.

"Don't worry, I do not eat humans. You need a particular taste to eat human flesh,...however, there is an exception..." reassured Herman, severely calming her down as she let out a single yet assuring "whew". But his mercy was only temporary, letting out a cackle that intimidated her even more.

"_**I EAT IBUKIES!**_" revealed Herman in the most melodramatic way possible. It was so melodramatic, that the actors from all soap operas around the world would think he's taking it too far.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! HEEEEEEEELP! BLUBBLUBLBUBLUBLUB!" yelped Ibuki before her mouth to foam out of a sudden.

"YESSS, but baloney Ibuki is not the only way how I eat them! I also like them….canned!" jested Herman, terrorizing her even more.

"Nooooooo, I don't wanna be a canned Ibuki, nooooo!" cried Ibuki in sheer terror, imagining herself to be sold in the super market as "Canned Ibuki: Fresh from Hope's Peak! 20% discount of all Ibuki Mioda-made products!".

"Oh, you will be canned! Not that, but also dipped in olive oil, just the way I like it!" added Herman in an even more pompous voice.

"W-wait wait wait! Before you turn me into can of baloney, is it true that there are other Ibukies around? If so, tell them I will C them next Tuesday!" asked Ibuki in the same sense as a dying person would ask for their last wishes, ending it on a somewhat cheerful note.

"Whatever, now comes the main course: EYESCHLUSS!" Herman cut the conversation short, bringing out the spray bottle filled with ink. His intentions were now clearer than ever to her.

"AAAAAAAAH!" screamed Ibuki at the sight of his weapon, which was pointed right in her face. He pulled the trigger and sprayed the ink at her. However, because Ibuki opened her mouth so wide when she screamed, the ink went right in her mouth instead of the eyes, landing right on her tongue.

"What?" blurted Herman after seeing zero ink on her face. He checked his weapon to see if everything functioned well. Ibuki, on other hand, tasted the ink, only to be blessed by its salty taste.

"Mmmm, can you try that again?" requested Ibuki, rubbing her tummy as if she

"EYESCHLUSS!" Herman let out his signature battle cry when he sprayed at her once again, but only that time Ibuki intentionally opened her mouth in order to get ink right on her tongue. It landed right where she wanted, gulping the ink down once again.

"Yummy! Gimme more!" demanded Ibuki once more, pointing directly at her open mouth.

"This is supposed to be eyeschluss, not mouthschluss!" retorted Herman before he sprayed her once again, only for the ink to land in her mouth once again.

"Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme!" begged Ibuki like a doggy for a treat. Herman sneaked behind her back so he could do a proper retaliatory strike with his weapon.

"EYESCHLUSS!" he yelled once again, thinking that he had her outmatched, but Ibuki turned towards him at near lightning speed as the sprayed ink landed in her mouth once more. Herman, with his frustrations peaking, had enough of wasting his ink.

"Hmpf, you thought you have won, but I will bring my ace in the hole!" scoffed Herman as he shook his arm at her.

"Oh, this was supposed to be a battle? Ibuki didn't know this, so I am sorry for that, Mr. Octopus! Next time, we could have a battle of sort, like rap battle? That was fun with-" sincerely promised Ibuki, believing that everything up to that moment was just innocent, if infuriating fun.

"SPIN!" Herman silenced her as he slapped the net with all the force he could provide with his arm, causing it to spin at the fast speeds.

"Woa woa woa WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" yelled Ibuki, caught in the middle of the spinning net as the world around her was trapped in an endless motion. After executing his move, Herman jumped off the net and landed on the floor. He observed his caught victim spinning above while hearing her yelps and screams of total surprise.

"We will meet again and you will be baloney!" said Herman before he went away, disappearing from her already murky sight. Ibuki continued spinning around, making incoherent noises as well. At certain point, someone took notice

"I swear, you are one second away from getting a warning over noise disturb-" Byakuya barged in, more than ever before, only to see the very scene laid in front of his eyes. Although it was starting to slow down a bit, the net on the ceiling just kept spinning around. One must wonder how did Ibuki's head endure all of the spinning that happened to her.

"What." was the only proper reaction Byakuya could give to it before he left the dining hall, storming towards class 77-B's classroom with all the agitation he had. Once he arrived, he loudly knocked the door, gaining attention of everyone inside before he opened the door, revealing himself towards them. The students inside were rather confused at the sight of him, some (most notably Mikan Tsumiki) were slightly intimidated by his tall yet imposing stature.

"I suppose you have left a nuisance in the dining hall, because you're-" grumbled Byakuya at them, but they soon realized what it could mean.

"It has happened?!" announced Gundham as he stood up from his chair, kind of startling nearly everyone around him.

"Knew it!" bellowed Nekomaru to himself, pumping his clenched fist. While he felt agitated that it happened again, he saw an opportunity amid the confusion.

"OOOOH!" hollered Teruteru as he raised his frying pan like a knight would raise his sword.

"Tone it down already, geez." scolded Mahiru.

"_What _has happened? Stop with this vague nonsense and-" demanded Byakuya, but was soon interrupted by others.

"I-Ibuki is in danger!" interjected Mikan in panic, having another realization about her friend.

"Everyone, follow me and be prepared for what are we about to face!" ordered Gundham as some of the classmates followed him in a rush. Others remained inside, either thinking that the situation was not worth their time or just being too confused to react properly. After dashing through the halls, they stormed inside the dining hall, all of them being prepared to face the ever present "threat" that was Herman.

"COME SHOW YOSELF, MADAFAKA!" threatened Teruteru as he pointed his weapon of choice forward, only to lower his guard when he saw Ibuki inside the hanging net. All of them were caught off guard when they saw her like that.

"W-what is happening here?!" piped Mikan at the sight of captured musician above her.

"I...am not sure myself." Hajime

"Akane, come here quick!" requested Nekomaru as he positioned himself below the hanging fish net, making a stool with his hands.

"Roger that, Neko!" responded Akane as dashed towards Nekomaru. After stepping on the "stool", she jumped towards the fish net, grabbing it just in time. Just with her hands alone, she tore the rope that held the fish net on the ceiling apart, falling down with her catch. Landing right on her feet, she tore apart the net itself, pulling Ibuki out of it. The musician girl attempted to stand up normally, but she constantly swayed side to side as her eyes rolled around. She also had some ink on her mouth, but her tongue was almost completely black because of it. Maybe it was because of their past experiences with that octopus, but her classmates were rather shocked to see no ink on her eyes. Meanwhile, Byakuya thought that the whole situation was the stupidest thing he saw that day, being incredibly close to doing a facepalm.

"Hey...uuuuh, Bookers, right? You alright there?" asked Akane to see if she's okay, but also forgetting her name in a moment.

"I see the world spin and spin, it goes round and round and it makes me wild and wild~." sang Ibuki with her head tilting all over the place.

"Hey, are you even listening?!" chided Akane as she shook Ibuki to get some sense back to her.

"N-no, s-stop it! D-don't shake her more, that's gonna make it even worse!" warned Mikan in haste, attempting to reach her hand towards

"Right, sorry about that." apologized Akane before she stopped shaking Ibuki. The musician was still swaying all over, sometimes sticking out her tongue for reasons that might get questioned for a while.

"Heyo-yo, Akane...no wait, three Akanes...Three Akaneeess….Yeaaaaah..." slurred Ibuki as her vision got even blurrier. All she could see were vague traces of her classmates, who seemingly constantly moved around her, despite truth being contrary.

"What are you on about? There's only one of me!" mumbled Akane as she placed Ibuki's hand on her cheek. "See? Only one!"

"And this is already getting moronic. Goodbye." Byakuya had enough of them and just left them alone.

"Wow, your patience_ sure _is amazing." scoffed Hajime, getting already sick of Byakuya's condescending nature.

"Haaaajimeeeee! Is thaaat youuuuu?" Ibuki "Wheeere are youuuu?" Ibuki leaned her head towards where he was supposed to be with her eyes still rolling like crazy, complimented by the constant head tilts.

"I'm...right over here, Ibuki?" Hajime attempted to verbally direct her towards his group.

"Okaaaaay…Ibuki is cooooming! Coooming to the town!" declared Ibuki before she walked in the _exact opposite direction_ of her intended path, walking as if she was an animated clay figure that got hit in the nuts.

"Wait, you're going the wrong way!" cautioned Hajime, but he was too late, as Ibuki suddenly tripped over and fell flat on her face, causing everyone to flinch due the fall looking rather painful.

"Owwwwww…."

"Seriously though, what the hell is up with her?" asked Akane

"I-I think she is is suffering from vertigo, judging how she...moves." analyzed Mikan just from her behavior alone, but it seemed like dizziness had the same affect on Ibuki as if she drank an entire barrel of tequila. Not that Ibuki would ever get drunk….maybe.

"Is this the true power of the Kraken of the Land?!" wondered Gundham, thinking that Herman had some psychokinetic powers along with its wit.

"He might have made her spin while she was in the net...I think." assumed Chiaki after observing the net and Ibuki herself.

"Good thinking there, my minion!" praised Gundham. Mikan attempted to approach Ibuki on the floor, but she also tripped out of a sudden.

"W-waaaah!" yelped Mikan as she fell right on Ibuki's back. It was a good thing for her that Ibuki was already laying on the floor, because it cushioned Mikan's fall, avoiding the face planted fate that her musician friend received. "S-sorry, Ibuki, I d-didn't mean to!"

"The sky is red, like my faceeeeeee! And I have a…..pizzaaaa faaaaceeee…." bumbled Ibuki, not even noticing that her nurse friend was even on her.

"Alright, it's time to take matters in my hands." said Hajime as he stepped towards the sandwiched girls (without tripping!) and picked up Mikan, helping her stand up. She blushed a little when he picked her up, not expecting that a boy would touch her in any sort of way. Then he decided to pick up, placing her arm over his shoulder. When they fully stood up, he carried her like a wounded soldier.

"Ibuki is baloney and baloney is Ibukiiiiii…...I taste like pizza pasta, very pasta, mozarella rella della..." cheerfully mumbled Ibuki as her tilting kept going.

"I think Ibuki just needs to sit somewhere to clear her head. She's gonna be back to her usual self soon enough." advised Hajime, leading her and everyone else out of the dining hall, returning back to their class. However, Gundham and Nekomaru remained in the dining hall.

"Hey, I figured out something about the attacks." stated Nekomaru as he stepped closer to him.

"Say it, apprentice." demanded Gundham.

"It's always a fella or two that gets split from the group. Of course, I'm not counting the attack with eggs in our class, but that could be something to incorporate in our strategy." acknowledged Nekomaru with a smirk on his face.

"Kehehehe….Excellent! We should report that to the Avians of the Faraway Blizzard and the One with the sword!" declared Gundham as both of them left the dining hall once and for all.

The day ended for the Hope's Peak academy as the students of both classes went on their way home. Ibuki, despite returning back to normal, was escorted by Hajime, Chiaki, Mikan and Sonia, just for her safety. Just when it was thought that everyone already went home, Gundham, Nekomaru and Peko, after asking Fuyuhiko for allowance, stepped outside the school, gathering near the entrance. Suddenly, a sign popped out of a seamless bush, saying "Over here!". All of them decided to follow it. After reaching the bush, the sign moved its position through the park as they continued following it. The trees of the park covered them through sunlight while they were busy overcoming any roots of trees and other plants on their way.

After traversing through the tree-infested park, they found themselves standing in front of the doors of a large garage in the middle of the small (although average sized by the standards of the country) car filled street. The gray metallic doors of the garage slowly opened by themselves, revealing a black painted room with a round table in it, which was surrounded by crusty chairs. There was also a laptop on the side, operated by none other by a tall penguin, who seemed to drag the mouse a lot. Gundham, Nekomaru and Peko confidently stepped inside as the doors behind them closer. The light, emitting yellow light, turned on as they faced a chair in front of them, occupied by none other than Skipper. Rico and Private were sitting on chairs around him to look like minions of the mastermind.

"Welcome, boys and girls, to your new hideout!" welcomed Skipper, supporting his head with his flippers to look like some kind of mastermind as his human colleagues sat down on the crusty chairs. "We already set up everything needed for it, so don't worry about anything. Rent is covered by our own pockets!"

"First of all, I must bring you some news that would favor us! We have figured out that Herman-" announced Gundham with all the pride he had in his heart.

"-tends to assault isolated groups of one up to three individuals, humiliating them in any way possible? Yeah, we know that, Overlord. We've been there many times." interjected Skipper, speaking from his experience.

"Oh...I see. So, what is the plan, my fellow avian?" Gundham switched to the promised topic.

"We cooked up something for you!" declared Skipper, bringing up floor plans of each individual floor of Hope's Peak academy with exception of basement on the table."We decided that the first step of it shall be tracking down that octopus fiend!"

"And how are we going to do that?" questioned Peko.

"There are two ways we are going to execute the first step." began Skipper with his plan:

"Option one: We set up the cameras all over the school. Everything will be covered, from classrooms, halls to more obscure places like toilets and air vents. Cameras will cover a large enough field of range to get any corner. Herman will not escape our eyes!"

"Now comes option two: Similar plan, but we set up voice recording devices all over the school. They will be specifically made to detect any noise, even higher and lower frequencies! For those, there would be specific modes. And when we find out Herman..."

"KABOOMA!" interrupted Rico, making a motion of an explosion with his flippers.

"No, Rico, we are not gonna "KABOOMA" the school! That's a crime against humanity!" denied Skipper, just to avoid persecution by International Court of Justice in Hague.

"Awww…." lamented Rico, just wanting to see something explode.

"Anyway, got any objections?" asked Skipper, awaiting their opinions on the matter.

"Wouldn't placing devices like these in places like bathrooms be an intrusion of privacy? No one needs to what someone is doing there..." pointed out Peko, being concerned about the potential exploitation of them.

"We have taken that in consideration, but it is a sacrifice we are willing to take." assured Skipper.

"Sacrifice of...what? What is there to sacrifice over the recordings?" piqued Nekomaru, unsure what he meant.

"...Sanity and feeling of being clean." elaborated Skipper, knowing that they would have to go through a lot of questionable footage to find any clues about Herman's strategy and tactics.

"Oh...oh right! Hahaha!" laughed Nekomaru at the possible situations.

"What would happen if the Kraken of the Land would find those contraptions? Wouldn't that put us at disadvantage?" Gundham brought up a point.

"We will make back ups! Of course, it isn't an issue as long as he doesn't know who put them in the first place. Now, Kowalski, I need your opinion!" answered Skipper with confidence before he turned towards his tall colleague.

"I would suggest going with the voice recording devices. They are much easier to manufacture, less maintenance heavy and they could be made in smaller size, which is optimal for our operation. Cameras would be a lot more sensitive to the environment and Herman could easily exploit it for his own nefarious means. Not to mention, the second option is more financially viable." Kowalski

"It is true that it is easier to blind an eye than to deafen an ear. The die has been cast and the fate decided for the secondary option!" agreed Gundham as he raised his fist in the air.

"What about you two, Muchacho and Peko?" queried Skipper as he pointed at them.

"Option two, it is." both of them confirmed their choice.

"Good! The devices will be delivered after weekend! You will take care of the easy to access strategics points, while we will cover the covert ones, like air vents and such!" said Skipper as he pointed towards the planned points, such as classrooms, halls, the kitchen and even the exterior of the school

"Sir, it appears we have a problem." reported Kowalski amid their plan, still operating on his laptop.

"What is it, Kowalski?" asked Private, turning at him once again.

"I've been searching for them for days and I haven't found a single trace of them!" complained Kowalski while still searching through the best open-source intelligence program one could have: Google Earth.

"Alright, boys and girls, looks like our colleague needs a little bit of assistance! Go go go!" commanded Skipper as everyone, human or penguin, stepped behind Kowalski's back, watching him spy on the streets. One after another, only thing that were shown to them were inconspicuous

buildings, well maintained streets and plenty of silver or white compact cars, parked or not, all over the place. However, there was something that Peko noticed one vehicle that stood out in

"Wait a minute...that black car over there. Should we check it out?" Peko pointed directly at the only black car on the street, redirecting the attention of everyone towards it. Said car was also slightly larger than any vehicle of its kind.

"Huh, aside from being rather big, I never put too much attention to it." remarked Kowalski.

"Kowaski, zoom on it!" ordered Skipper, to which Kowalski scrolled with the wheel on the mouse, zooming in. As he performed the task, the sight on the car became clearer, enabling Kowalski to notice details of it.

"Identify!" commanded Skipper once again.

"I believe that is a Volvo XC90. Judging from the model, it is from the second generation of the production." informed Kowalski as if he was reading an encyclopedia from his mind. Suddenly, it dawned upon Hope's Peak lads and a lass when they heard the name of one particular Swedish car company.

"Holy shit, could that be that car that ran over Nagito that day?!" gasped Nekomaru as he remembered something from before.

"Who is this "Nah-geet-toe" person you speak of?" asked Skipper in a derisive tone. Japanese names were not something he was keen on because he found them confusing and hard to pronounce.

"A mortal with a strange relationship with fortune, I must say." said Gundham in a cautious tone, suspecting certain anomalies regarding that white haired boy.

"Just a classmate of ours." elaborated Nekomaru as concisely as he could.

"We should probably check the registration plate on it. Perhaps that could give us a clue towards Daft Capo." suggested Kowalski, to which he did exactly that. When he inspected the rear registration plate, he found a familiar element. The registration plate had something written on it:

"| I | AC 444XL | (16) BO |"

"Hey...I know this one! That one was in Rotterdam!" remarked Skipper, pointing at the registry before the feeling of absolute triumph overcame him as he pumped his flippers like a fist. "Well boys, we found them!"

"I must thank you for your assistance, allies from Hope's Peak academy. You have greatly decreased our workload." thanked Kowalski, giving them a salute.

"Glad to know that. We will do anything to deter Daft Capo" promised Peko with her arms crossed.

"Fuwahahaha! Consider yourself outfoxed, nefarious Daft Capo! Soon, your day of reckoning shall come!" boasted Gundham like the Supreme Overlord he was.

"OH YEAH, THE ASS KICKING IS COMING REAL SOON!" cheered Nekomaru as he pumped his fists. The members of The Fellowship of Darkness gave each other a series of high fives as a part of their celebration.

"Oh man, I'm feeling pumped up just from your energy, but remember! The true fight has yet to start! But for now, you are dismissed! Thank you for coming here, by the way!" complimented Skipper before their time was up. They waved at each other before the doors of the garage opened. Gundham, Nekomaru and Peko went

"Operation _Track & __Whack_ starts next week, boys!" boastfully announced Skipper as he turned towards them, rubbing his flippers like a gleeful planner. The fate of Hope's Peak academy was in the hands of The Fellowship of Darkness.


	7. Breath of Gentle Air

The presence of clouds became a predominant in the sky above the city, darkening everything beneath them. Silvery cars slowly drove around the streets as they were accompanied by mostly empty sidewalks. Only salary men and some elderly were walking on them, but they only went for the stores just to buy the needs. Hope's Peak Academy, surrounded by park's trees, itself stood out in the middle of gray flats and skyscrapers. Traversing breeze gently swayed the leaves as the day went on.

Suddenly, in one of the streets, bass boosted music blared through the entire neighborhood. It was less "music" and more of raw concentrated bass causing severe vibrations on every single window surrounding the source. It would be an understatement to say everyone in the neighborhood had quite an awakening.

"What the hell are you doing, you asshole?!" raged one random salary man at the alleged origin of bass boost galore while shaking his fist at it. On the opposite side of random salary man's house, one grumpy old man already opened the window as he held a shoe in his hand, being prepared to throw it at any time. However, the source of the bass boosted "music" bypassed them in a blink of the eye as the bass boosted music suddenly ceased to be in the neighborhood. It was none other than Herman with sunglasses, driving his own fabled yellow Vespa moped on the road. One particular detail was the glued on cardboard, saying "Lamborghini". Two speakers were attached on the sides of the aforementioned vehicle, blasting the bass boosts through them. Those who saw a mere glimpse of him were left completely speechless with their jaws agape, but Herman didn't care as he rode down the road. All it mattered to him was that he had sunglasses on, looking like the most badass octopus that ever rode a moped. Strolling down the roads while drifting at every corner with the bass boost on, he was just speeding through, disregarding any rule during his journey. Much to the confusion of drivers around him, he bypassed everyone on his path.

After speeding through the entire city, he drove through the part, straight at the academy. Just before he reached the entrance of school, he drifted once again, imitating a biker from a certain movie. The drift came to a halt as he stopped completely. He turned off the speakers before he raised sunglasses, looking directly at the school with his usual fare of mischievous intent.

"Time to cause some shit!" announced Herman to himself, jumping off his moped before he sneaked inside the school. Met with the empty halls, he decided that the first targeted destination would be classroom of 77-B. Each footstep (or tentaclestep in this case?) made a squishy noise that echoed through out the hall. When he reached the doors of the destined class, he opened them, only to be met with empty chairs and slightly opened windows. Not even the ever-busy Chisa Yukizome was there, much to his surprise. To him, it felt like the only inhabitants of the classroom were air molecules.

"Hello? Hellooooooooo?" called out Herman, to see if anyone would respond. His callings were answered with just faint silence. He scratched his head in puzzlement before he switched his target: class 78th. After having a squeaky stroll through the barren hallways, he entered it, only for him to be dealing with the same situation as the other class. Greeted by the air molecules again, he slammed the door, disgruntled by the lack of opportunities of potentially angering someone that day. He headed off to check other places, but soon he met another person. An old man with a white beard, who just calmly mopped the floor as he hummed to himself. For a job that is often taken for granted, he was having the moment of his life.

"Hey, old man! Where the mofos at?" asked Herman, still looking around to see if any of his usual targets were present that day.

"Hohoho, young one. Today is weekend! Saturday, to be precise! Everyone is nice and comfy at home. However, one must maintain cleanness. It makes people feel much better." explained the old janitor as he kept mopping the floor with glee. Due to his blurry vision, he thought Herman was just a really tiny student.

"Oh, I see how it is." lamented Herman as he smacked his head with his tentacle arm. Knowing that he had nothing to do here, he decided to leave. "Aw man, was looking up to it, but oh well. Ciao!"

"Farewell, young one! I hope you have a nice day!" the old janitor waved at him like a colleague before the octopus disappeared from his sight. After his venture in school, he returned to his parked moped. Adjusting his position as he jumped on the seat, he then decided to spend his day on other activities, such as….

"Time to get carbonara then!" declared Herman before he scooted off towards the nearest market in the city. He was merciful enough to not blare bass boosted "music" once again, though it's a question if it was an intentional choice of his or he just forgot at that moment. Even though he had a new goal in his head, he couldn't help to not wonder about one thing: where were the students of Hope's Peak Academy at?

About one hour away from Hope's Peak if you went by foot, there was one house among the many in the neighborhood. There was nothing particularly notable about it, with its brown roof and white walls blending in with many other houses around it. Inside of it, it consisted of one floor with few sections: a living room combined with kitchen, a bathroom (with toilet) and a bedroom. The living room, surrounded by white walls and having few large windows as sources of natural light, had every furniture necessary for it, but one thing stood out: there were various kinds of consoles, retro and modern, beneath the television. Handheld consoles were placed on the bookcase next to it. On the opposite end, there was another bookcase filled with nearly endless amount of games of many genres, which could be played on the intended systems. There were a few toys of various video game characters placed around the room as well.

The bedroom consisted of a single bed and a nightstand with a tiny lamp on it, accompanied by an electric clock. Electrical sockets near the bed were occupied by chargers for handheld consoles. On one side of the bright pink walls, there was a poster of a cute bunny like protagonist from some game. One person, who went by the name of Chiaki Nanami, was sleeping soundly in the bed, snoring like a little hummingbird while tightly hugging a big bunny plushie that looked like a hero of a magical girl anime. She was unconsciously drooling a little bit during her cozy slumber. Her head was placed on a big soft pillow with a handheld console beneath it.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Even though the sound of the ringing bell went through out the entire house, Chiaki was still heavily sleeping. It rang once again, but to no avail. The ringing bell was quickly replaced by the gentle knocking on the door, which did accomplish at making Chiaki wake up once and for all. She slowly opened her eyes, with her vision being quite blurry. After one rub, she could clearly see the surroundings.

"Hmm? Who could it be?" wondered Chiaki before she stood up and checked the time. By the time she completely woke up, it was already twelve o'clock. Realizing on how much she has slept, she went to the door as quickly and drowsily as she could. She was still in her pink Pajama with bunny symbols on it. Just when she opened the door, she saw a person that was instantly familiar to her. A sudden burst of positive energy appeared within her when she saw her tiny brunette friend.

"G-good morning, Chiaki." greeted Chihiro, standing right in front of her, holding a laptop bag.

"Ah, good morning, Chihiro! It's so nice to see you." welcomed Chiaki as she smiled, inviting her friend by opening the door even more. "Please come in."

"I j-just hope I didn't disturb you or anything..." quavered Chihiro, wondering if anything wrong happened, considering how slightly drowsy she looked.

"It's okay, you are more than welcome here. You are the first friend to ever visit me." reassured Chiaki, placing her hand on her chest. Judging by her voice, she seemed genuinely moved by Chihiro's visit.

"...The very first one?" thought Chihiro to himself as some concerns about her appeared in his mind. As he stepped inside, he took off his shoes and borrowed one of Chiaki's pink gaming-themed slippers. Both of them then sat on a couch as they looked at each other in their eyes. Chihiro placed the laptop bag on the table, just so it wouldn't get in their way.

"So...erm...how are you today?" asked Chihiro, trying to start a conversation with her.

"I just woke up, but I did have an interesting dream today...I think." said Chiaki, taking some to put the words together.

"D-did I disrupt your dream? I-I'm sorry..." apologized Chihiro, trembling at the thought of possibly annoying, let alone hurting her.

"No, it ended way before you arrived. Sorry about not coming in earlier, I was…..a little sleepy." reassured Chiaki, severely calming down her friend with just her voice. "Would you like to hear about it?"

"Anything from you, Chiaki." smiled Chihiro. Just by her presence alone, he could feel comfort in his heart.

"Alright so, it started with me laying on the field filled with gentle flowers. I stared at the nightly sky, flooded with shooting stars. I tried to come up with a wish, but then a dark cloud absorbed all the stars. The dark cloud turned out to be a cosmic monster and it lunged straight at me. I was really scared, but luckily, a hero of the stars arrived to the scene! Just before the hero would fight the dark cloud….the dream ended. It's a shame, because I really wanted to see cool moves the hero of the stars would do." rambled Chiaki, attempting to describe her dream as best as she could from her memory. Chihiro listened her tale with joy fluttering in his heart, even wanting to hear more. He felt slight fear when the cosmic monster was mentioned, but that fear was slain by the mention of hero of the stars.

"Wow, what a dream! Thank goodness for hero of the stars, he saved dream you's life!" chirped Chihiro as the mental image of her dream played in his head. "Would you mind if you tell me how do you get such imaginative dreams, please?"

"...I might have played Pinkie Boye: Stargang Saga too much last night. That, or Galaxy Heroes Advance. Both games deal with space, but Galaxy Heroes Advance has a really unique way of dealing with it. It takes a more atmospheric approach, making you feel truly there. I often imagine myself just floating in space, looking at the all bright stars when I listen to Galaxy Heroes Advance's soundtrack." admitted Chiaki in slight embarrassment before she went into a full dork mode once again.

"I wonder how would that feel like. I'm pretty sure that astronauts felt a lot of awe when they saw Earth from space." remarked Chihiro as he started thinking about the cosmos. He also wanted to ask if they could play either games, but the fear of rejection overwhelmed him that moment.

"Space is….scary. It's just so...vast, when you put it in perspective. I have never been outside of this city, let alone off from Earth. I'm not sure if I would go there by myself..." faltered Chiaki, sometimes getting lost in her thoughts while thinking about the same thing.

"Y-yeah, I can see why. Even the observable universe is just a tiny fraction of the ever expanding infinity. It...gives me chills when I start thinking about it." concurred Chihiro as he put both of his hands on his chest.

"..but if somebody were on my side, I'd go there with joy. I would love to see the stars with someone together." said Chiaki with a mellow smile on her face. Every time Chihiro saw her smile, he couldn't help but feel even happier around her.

"Oooh, that would be really cool!" cheered Chihiro, clenching his fists in excitement before he remembered about something she has expressed interest in days earlier. "Not to disrupt anything, but I do wanna show you something, if you don't mind."

"Is it the AI you've been working on?" asked Chiaki, immediately knowing what her friend was referring to.

"Yes! I didn't do that much as of now, but there's been some progress. Basic features of it have been fully completed, now I have to do more advanced capabilities of the AI." started Chihiro, giving some precautions to not let her expectations rise up too highly.

"I do wanna see it!" chirped Chiaki, pumping her fists as if she just heard news about games that was really looking forward to being released.

"O-oh, o-okay." stuttered Chihiro, being floored by his friend's enthusiasm. He brought the laptop bag to the coach, opening it to reveal his own personal laptop. Booting it up, he then clicked on the microchip shaped icon. The program started running as some kind of virtual room appeared on the screen. Judging from the bed alone, it could be assumed that the program took place in a bedroom. It appeared to be a sunny day inside the program, contrary to the cloudy reality.

"This is just a prototype as of now. It serves as my template for the future works. I think it would be best to show a little demonstration." explained Chihiro as Chiaki eagerly watched the screen, with her eyes almost being glued to the screen. Suddenly, a sprite of a cartoony bunny appeared in the virtual room.

"HE-LLO!" greeted the bunny sprite as it waved right at them. Chiaki made a little hop on the couch when the bunny sprite popped on the screen.

"Oh! Hey hey!" responded Chiaki as she waved at the virtual bunny as if it were a real person. "My name is Chiaki Nanami. What's yours?"

None than less, Chihiro just in complete shock by her ever exceeding enthusiasm.

"T-this is the AI itself. Her name is Takashi and it would really like to meet new people. If you wanna talk to her, you should say a thing. Only thing she currently knows how to initiate is the greeting." elaborated Chihiro while showcasing her the AI.

"Oh, I see! How are you, Takashi?" eagerly asked Chiaki.

"I-AM-GOOD! THANKS-FOR-ASKING! IT-IS-ALWAYS-GOOD-TO-CHECK-FEELINGS-OF-OTHERS!" answered Takashi in a monotone but somewhat peppy synthesized voice. It seemed that her voice was made from Chihiro's samples.

"Mhm! You're right. It's always good to do that." nodded Chiaki. Despite the boundaries between them, Chiaki could relate to her. It was something about the AI that she felt really close to.

"O-oh wow, you two got along really fast...This was...unexpected." noted Chihiro as he continued observing their interaction, but deep down he was feeling incredibly relieved, wanting to see them talk to each other more.

"What do you usually do, Takashi?" asked Chiaki once again in the same eagerness as before.

"I-AM-HERE, WAITING-FOR-FRIENDS. I-REALLY-WANT-TO-MEET-THEM!" Takashi told her wish to her new human friend. Despite the lack of emotion in AI's voice, there was some sincerity behind it, which both of them could feel.

"Oh, there is someone who you might like...I think." Chiaki got an idea as she went to her bedroom out of a sudden.

"W-wait, is there someone else here?" stammered Chihiro, not expecting anyone else to be visiting her. While there was some uncertainty on his mind, he imagined that the unexpected visitor was either Makoto or Hajime. They were cool dudes in his book. Such thoughts relieved him of potential stress.

Suddenly, Chiaki returned to the living room with a big magical girl-like bunny plushie in her hands. While it wasn't exactly the last thing Chihiro expected, it still kind of caught him off guard.

"Oh...a plushie?" asked Chihiro at the sight of Chiaki's big bunny plushie.

"Chihiro and Takashi, please meet Usami. She is my friend that accompanies me...when I sleep. Nights become a lot...a lot…..more comfortable...when….she's around…." Chiaki tried to introduce her plushy friend, but soon faltered from the ever increasing embarrassment, that she revealed something she could be probably judged for. She buried her face in in, trying to hide how completely red her face was.

"Hello!" Chiaki imitated a high pitched voice as if the plushie spoke by itself, muffled by her buried face. She moved plushie's arm a little bit, imitating hand waves at Takashi.

"It's okay, Chiaki. It's always good to have something to comfort you, especially in the tough times." reassured Chihiro, taking some cues from Chiaki. He felt that it would be fair to help her as well, considering how much she was on his side.

"So...it's not weird, even though I am a student?" squeaked Chiaki as she peeked from her plushie.

"Not at all!" resounded Chihiro, sounding rather surprisingly determined in his statement, contrary to his usual meek demeanor. He believed that if that's what was needed to do to help his friend just even a little bit, so be it.

"Thanks..." blushed Chiaki as she stopped covering her face in the plushie before she focused on both Chihiro and Takashi.

"Wait, can Takashi sees us?" suddenly asked Chiaki after a possible scenario of Takashi not even recognizing what was going on.

"Yes! She uses laptop's camera to observe the surroundings." answered Chihiro, pointing at the camera on top of his device. Takashi tilted her head before she started jumping from happiness from meeting a new friend.

"A-BUNNY, JUST-LIKE-ME! THANK-YOU, CHIAKI, FOR MAKING MY DAY BETTER!" complimented Takashi, choppily flailing her arms around like an excited 8-bit kid.

"Hehehe...that really went well. But I have to put Takashi on a hold. Still have a lot of things to do around her." concluded Chihiro, thinking that demonstration, as much as she enjoyed it, had to be over. He didn't want the day to be focused just around his interests, wanting to give Chiaki something to do as well.

"Awww….goodbye, Takashi." lamented Chiaki, slowly waving at Takashi. To her, it felt like she was goodbye to friends after an unforgettable birthday party.

"GOODBYE! HAVE-A-NICE-DAY!" said Takashi before she went to "sleep". As she entered the lands of digitized dreams, Chihiro closed the program before shutting down the laptop as well. Two of them looked at each other in the eyes again.

"So...did you like it?" asked Chihiro, just to be completely sure. It's better to be 100% sure than 75% sure, after all.

"That was just so cool! I really loved how you based the sprite around the 8 bit era and Takashi was just so cute!" gushed Chiaki, which confirmed the imagined outcome he had in his head.

"I'll take that as a bold yes! I'll show you more of Takashi once more features get implemented." promised Chihiro while also looking forward to showing her possible improvements of his AI. Then he attempted to initiate the thing he wanted a little while back. "Um...Chiaki, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? What's up, Chihiro?" asked Chiaki, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Now that you've seen my thing...can we play something together?" requested Chihiro

"Anything! Anything you want, Chihiro!" chirped Chiaki, going in full dork mode once again.

"How silly of me….it should have been obvious that she would accept it." thought Chihiro to himself, thinking that he shouldn't have worried about her rejecting his offer in the first place.

Chiaki and Chihiro stepped towards the bookcase filled with video games of all genres. Game after game, Chiaki observed them, looking for the game that Chihiro would like to play. Seeing how Chiaki kept looking at the games reminded Chihiro of navigating through the various strings of code during his programming sessions.

"What would you like to play?" asked Chiaki as she kept looking at the games.

"W-well….something calm and relaxing, but also something that we could play together." suggested Chihiro, being in the mood just to do things together with her.

"Hmmm….How about Fiesta Festival: Tropical Breeze?" piqued Chiaki, pulling out a small notebook-sized box out of the bookcase. The art of it depicted heavily stylized but friendly looking humans on an island. Some of the tiny people were drawn lying on the beach, observing a smiley faced sun, who provided them with light yet comfy sun rays.

"That sounds like a relaxing game. We could play that….though it might take a while to get used to it." approved Chihiro, but not before the worries of possibly infuriating her over him being not good at the game appeared in his mind.

"The game is pretty easy to get in. It's an island management simulator, you can do almost anything in it. Controls are pretty intuitive, so that even people with no experience in gaming could easily hop in." explained Chiaki while also reassuring him that nothing bad will happen during their playthrough.

"Phew...that sounds comforting..." uttered Chihiro as the worries disappeared once again. Chiaki opened the box and popped the game in her Hybrid Entertainment System, a console that could be played both on TV and in handheld mode if desired. She gave him a controller before she went for her own, offering him a way to join in. After clicking on the Fiesta Festival icon, the game booted up, revealing a title screen made out of a colorful silhouette of an island with happy stickmen on it. They made choppy movements, reminiscent of Takashi's animations. Chiaki pressed the start button as the game started.

Two tiny girls, one brunette and other a pinkhead, appeared on the sandy beaches of the island. Pinkhead girl started walking towards the palm trees as the brunette girl followed her. Both of them gathered around it to see what the tree had for them. A bunch of coconuts were on it, just hanging on as they were being swayed by the breeze. By the press of the A button on the controller, Chiaki made the pinkhead girl shake the palm tree as one coconut fell from it. Chihiro's character cautiously approached the tree, standing in front of it. He hesitated to press any button, thinking that any wrong move could ruin the game. Chiaki pointed at the A button on his controller, which he pressed it. Another coconut fell from the tree before the brunette gal picked it up. After the whole sequence of events, Chihiro got the whole gist of the game as he started playing it with ease in his mind.

After some time of playing the game together, two of the characters in it made two simplistic toys out of coconuts. Pinkhead girl and brunette gal played with the dolls like two babies, roleplaying as two adventurers going on a grandiose quest to save the world from evil forces. Despite the whole premise being rather questionable for those who seek thrill and adrenaline, two dorks that were playing the game together were having an absolute blast. Chihiro even got fully comfortable playing the game, knowing that no matter what happened in it, everything would turn out okay in the end. They even made a little house out of wood, which would serve as a residence for their characters.

Suddenly, Chihiro felt a strange sensation in his stomach. He tapped his tummy to see if everything is alright with it.

"Hey, Chiaki….not to bother, but I'm feeling kinda hungry right now…." confessed Chihiro.

"Oh, then we should take a break. To be honest, I...forgot to eat my breakfast….a lot...I'm a little bit hungry too." admitted Chiaki with some pauses in her speech.

"Y-you often forget?" wondered Chihiro in his head. There are things about her that he couldn't stop worrying about at times.

Chiaki paused the game as both of them went to the kitchen, stepping closer to the ordinary fridge. She opened the fridge before she let Chihiro pick something he wanted at that moment. Her brunette friend chose just one chocolate pudding while the game loving gal picked a strawberry yogurt. Both of them went to the table and sat behind it, eating their tiny meals with tea spoons. Suddenly, when they were busy eating, Chiaki's eyes started to slowly close like a sleepy kitten.

"….I am a little...sleepy…." yawned Chiaki before she seemingly fell asleep.

"W-wait!" fretted Chihiro, attempting to stop her fall in slumber, but he was too late. He lightly tapped her shoulder to see if she would react, but he hesitated in waking her up. A moment later, Chiaki opened her right eye as she had a silly smile on her face.

"Got you~." giggled Chiaki, knowing that he fell for her little prank. Chihiro's face became completely red from embarrassment, but it soon turned into an innocent laughter. Both of them had a laugh, but Chiaki actually nearly fell asleep at that moment, she just managed to cover it up just in time. When they finished eating their meals, they returned playing video games, which they spent the rest of the day, but sometimes they did mix up with some of programming showcases on Fujisaki's side. Chiaki and Chihiro learned a lot from each other that day.

The sun was about to set as their moments of being together seemed to be gradually vanishing. If it weren't for the clouds, there would have been a very beautiful sunset at the very least. Both of them sat on the couch, with Chihiro looking quite uncertain about future.

"Hey, Chiaki….it's getting a bit late, isn't it?" reluctantly reminded Chihiro, not wanting to leave her at all, but he felt like their time was ending. He also didn't want to cause his parents to worry, so he was left conflicted on what to do.

"...Does that mean...?" asked Chiaki, not being prepared for saying goodbye to him. A little somber frown appeared on her face, knowing that once he leaves her, her status quo would return. A status quo she particularly didn't enjoy.

"I'm afraid so..." confirmed Chihiro. Chiaki remained silent, but she somberly looked at the floor with her arms close to the body. It didn't help her that she felt that she could do nothing about it, that their abrupt departure is inevitable. The amount of guilt that Chihiro felt after seeing her like that was immeasurable, he couldn't just leave her alone like that with clear consciousness.

"W-wait! Maybe it's not the time to go home just yet. I'll have to convince my parents about it….I hope they allow it…." proposed Chihiro as he brought up his phone from the laptop bag.

"I hope they do…." murmured Chiaki, hoping that they could spend time together just a little more. Chi

"Hey, mom. I wanna ask you something….can I stay at Chiaki's house for this night, please?" asked Chihiro through the phone. Both of them anxiously awaited the answer, hoping for the approval.

"W-wait really?!" Chihiro suddenly gasped after hearing mother's answer. Chiaki got startled from his reaction, quickly focusing her eyes on him. "I-I can...stay through out the whole weekend?"

Hearing the answer vanquished away all the uneasiness they had. A small, yet poignant smile appeared on Chihiro's face while Chiaki was bouncing on the couch from sheer joy.

"Thank you, Mom! Thank you so much!….Don't worry, I'm gonna take care...Bye, mom." tearfully smiled Chihiro before he ended the call as he happily turned towards his friend.

"Hehehe….looks like I'm staying with you for quite some time." said Chihiro as he tried to dry up his tears of happiness.

"We could do so much stuff together during the weekend! Imagine all the games we could play! Oh, we should also invite Takashi as well!" beamed Chiaki, still hopping on the couch like an excited bunny. Just the idea of them being together for the entire weekend filled her with absolute positive energy.

"Oh, just to mention it, my mom wants to meet you one day. It came off as a big surprise that I expressed a desire to stay at someone's home." added Chihiro, surprising his friend a little bit.

"I'd...love to meet her too." said Chiaki while thinking how did his parents look like. On Chihiro's end, he wondered where were her parents. They spent rest of the evening having fun together, be it through video games, playing board games or even just through a relaxing chat.

The night had arrived as both dorks were about to enter the land of slumber. Chihiro borrowed one of Chiaki's Pajamas because he didn't expect to remain there at all. They were sitting on the couch, still playing video games. However, Chihiro started to drowsily blink while trying to stay awake as much as he could.

"Chiaki...I'm a little sleepy now, but I don't know where will each of us sleep." admitted Chihiro as he let out a tiny yawn. Chiaki then stood up and lead him to her bedroom. As they entered it, they were "greeted" by the big bunny plushie from before, who occupied the bed.

"You can sleep in my bed, if you want. It's a lot more comfortable sleeping on it than on a couch." offered Chiaki as both of them sat down on the bed.

"W-w-w-wait! W-where will you sleep?" stammered Chihiro as he thought that it would be a better idea for him to sleep on the couch.

"We can sleep together...I think." suggested Chiaki out of a sudden.

"U-uh…...uuuuuuhhhh….." completely faltered Chihiro with his face being red like a cherry. Not even once in his life he imagined sleeping with a girl in a same bed.

"I promise you it's gonna be okay, Chihiro. After all, we are friends, right? You make me feel comfort when you're around." consoled Chiaki while spilling out her true thoughts about him. Hearing her say such things made Chihiro freeze before tears started to pile up in his eyes.

"...I...I...don't deserve such kindness..." wept Chihiro as his arms started to tremble.

"Awww, of course you do..." reassured Chiaki before hugging him as tightly as she could. He felt warmth in her hug as he hugged her back in response, continuing with crying. "You were one of the biggest reasons why I volunteered to visit your classroom for the exchange day. I was really worried that things could go wrong, but when I thought of you, all of my worries went away."

"I haven't done much..." sniffled Chihiro, trying to downplay himself.

"Chihiro...you have already done a lot..." comforted Chiaki before she leaned closer to him.

"Thank you so much for visiting me...It...it means a lot to me." quietly confessed Chiaki, hugging him even more. When he heard her statement, he noticed a quiver in her voice. Just from that quiver, he felt great amount of loneliness inside of her. He came to a realization that just by visiting her, he gave her something she always wanted, but couldn't get for most of her life.

"I'm...I'm gonna try my best...try my best for you, Chiaki." promised Chihiro, hugging her even more. Then, both of them laid down on the bed, still hugging each other as they looked at each other, with both of them filled with desire to help each other out during the harshest of times.

"I see that your heart has calmed down. Would you be able to sleep easier like this?" smiled Chiaki as she caressed his hair, just to comfort him even more.

"Y-yes, it does help….I'm actually really excited for tomorrow...but now, lets have a rest, shall we?" chuckled Chihiro with some tears in his eyes, but he felt much more relaxed with her presence.

"Yeah….good night, Chihiro. Sweet dreams." smiled Chiaki before she closed her eyes, falling asleep in seconds. He took one more look at her for that day and he realized how pretty she was in his eyes. Seeing her just sleeping without a worry could only bring him more happiness for that moment.

"Good night, Chiaki…." whispered Chihiro before he fell asleep in Chiaki's grip, comfortably entering the land of slumber. Even during the dark, cold night, the warmth of each other kept them comfy during their gentle sleep.


	8. Little Sip of Coffee

Raindrops fell down on the window as two dorks still slept in one bed. The moody light, desaturated by dark gray clouds, shone on their sleepy faces. She was still hugging him, just like before they went to sleep. The electronic clock on the nightstand displayed 9:00 AM in bright light. Two sleeping students were surrounded by calm silence, which was only slightly disrupted by Chiaki's quiet snoring.

Chihiro slowly but surely woke up, seeing her right in front of his eyes. Just by seeing her in a comfortable slumber made his morning already. He gently caressed her hair, just to get a feel of it, before he was interrupted by her letting out a huge prolonged yawn. Had his hand been placed somewhere else, Chiaki could have potentially nibbled it by accident.

"Good morning, Chihiro." smiled Chiaki as she slowly opened her eyes. Her waking up worked as a supplement for sunrise, since the sky was covered in clouds that day.

"M-morning, Chiaki." stuttered Chihiro, not expecting her to notice at all. Chiaki just giggled before both of them went out of the bed in order to brush their teeth. After they were done with brushing their teeth, they went towards the living room. Both of them sat down on the couch, leaning comfortably on it at the same time.

"So, do you recommend any games to play today?" asked Chiaki without hesitation as she looked at him with a smile.

"W-well, it should be your turn now. I already picked a game yesterday." advised Chihiro, thinking that it felt unfair that she doesn't get to choose by herself.

"You are always welcome to pick a game." insisted Chiaki, tilting her head. Already pleased that her friend was more than welcome about playing games with her, she tried to tailor his experience in games towards his liking as much as she could.

"I-if you say so, but I still think you should choose as well. How about we have something...space related?" suggested Chihiro, remembering the discussion about space they had that day. Chiaki stood up and started searching through the massive library of games, trying to find a perfect game for them to play.

"Hmmmm…..how about Gala Omega? This one is one of my favorite franchises of all time." recommended Chiaki as she picked up a box, which depicted a white triangle shaped spaceship cruising through the cosmos. It was the exact same spacecraft that she had on in a form of a hairpin. There were also some extraterrestrial beings on it, charging towards the speeding space vessel. Apparently, it was the latest port of the first game in the series.

"Oh! That one could work!" happily nodded Chihiro before Chiaki popped in the game in the console. She pressed the power button on the console, turning it on before the menu screen appeared in front of them. After pressing start, the game immediately started with two spaceships at the bottom while the sprites of hostile extraterrestrials floated above, ready to throw projectiles at each player. Both of them started blasting away in order to defend Earth against the forces of evil. Just by Chiaki's reflexes alone, the aliens were quickly moved down by her spaceship, while Chihiro was lagging behind a bit. Some of his shots were complete misses, but that didn't stop him from trying to defend Earth. None than less, both of them had a lot of fun just relaxing in the morning and playing a wee bit more adrenaline inducing game than before.

Suddenly, a series of knocks on the door were heard, startling Chihiro in the process. Noticing that he was still in his Pajamas, he quickly ran to the bathroom so that he could change his clothes. Chiaki tilted her head in curiosity before she paused the game.

"Huh, who could that be?" wondered Chiaki as she went towards the door, still in her Pajamas. Just before she opened the door, Chihiro, in his everyday attire, quickly ran towards the door before stopping right behind her, in order to hide from any possible danger. When she finally opened the door, it was revealed that the person behind the knocks was none other than a lively musician gal by the name of Ibuki Mioda, who held a big rainbow umbrella in her hands.

"Goooood nom-nom-nom-morning, everyone!" greeted Ibuki in the way only a person named Ibuki Mioda would: by doing a little spin and a dance before giving both of them a V sign with her hand.

"Ibuki?" perplexed Chiaki, tilting her head once again.

"T-that was a surprise." admitted Chihiro as he peeked behind Chiaki's shoulder before he recognized the person in front of him.

"Yup, just like Ibuki intended!" admitted Ibuki before striking another pose. In spite of all logic, her nose got pointier for a second.

"Is everything alright, Ibuki? Last time, you didn't seem so well." Chiaki didn't hesitate to express her worries to her. It was the first thing that appeared in her mind.

"Ibuki is in a pristine condition today! Though, yesterday was a little doozy. My brain was still rolling all over my head. All I could do that day was lay on my couch and sing karaoke of 80's anime openings...it was not best of my performance, I must admit." assured Ibuki, tapping her own head just to be sure.

"I'm just glad that you are not hurt." said Chiaki in relief.

"Don't worry about it, I am always gonna find a way!" Ibuki chirped on, not letting the former dizziness stopping her from being like she usually is.

"W-wait, what happened?" queried Chihiro due him being out of the loop from that day.

"It's...a long story." mumbled Ibuki, remembering her encounter with a certain someone before she decided to focus on the present instead. She didn't allow her mood to be soured over a past event. "So, what are you up, gorgeous girls?"

"We were just playing games together after having breakfast." answered Chiaki, to which her tinier friend nodded.

"It wasn't much, really. Day has only started for us." added Chihiro.

"Oh oh, I see I see! Are you two busy at the moment orrrr…?" asked Ibuki, swaying left and right out of curiosity like a pendulum.

"Not really, I think." said Chiaki after staring contemplatively at the sky as she tried to

"YES! That means I can invite you to a place that I love to go!" cheered Ibuki, pumping her fists as she hopped around in excitement. "I even convinced Hajime to go along! Though it did take a while, because Ibuki was like "I am inviting you!" and then I told him about it and then he was like "….Maybe" and then Ibuki was like "pleeeeeaaaseeee" and Ibuki gave him this look!"

As she was telling them her story of how she convinced the tall ahoge lad on her journey, she made puppy dog eyes in order to demonstrate her ability to persuade people on her side. Chihiro blushed at the sight of Ibuki's cute pleading stare. She even imitated having cat paws to the maximum effect, which even got Chiaki blushing a bit.

"I-it's...pretty hard to resist when you look at someone like that." stuttered Chihiro as he succumbed to the influence of Ibuki's cat-like pose. Even though she didn't react in the same way as Chihiro, Chiaki also fell under Ibuki's power.

"Where do you plan to take us?" piqued Chiaki.

"Hehehe, it's a surprise! Just one tiny thing though, because Ibuki wants to make sure…" giggled Ibuki, which only raised curiosity for both of them even more.

"Do either of you have any allergies? It might not be a good idea to go if you have them, I don't want to potentially make you sick or worse…" asked Ibuki out of a sudden, surprising both of them in the process.

"I don't...I think." answered Chiaki before she thought about if she had any allergies at all.

"M-me neither, but are you taking us to something like a pet shop? It would make sense for a question like that." assumed Chihiro. He thought that it would be most likely for them to visit a pet shop full of cats, judging by Ibuki's mannerisms from before.

"Nah nah nah, Ibuki's taking you two to somewhere even better!" winked Ibuki as she tilted a bit.

"Even better?" wondered Chihiro, considering that his assumption was confirmed to be false.

"I wonder what kind of a surprise it is. Sometimes, when playing something like an open world game, one of the best feelings a player could have is discovering secrets in an unexplored area." said Chiaki in her own terms. Just like her friend, she also wondered where would they go.

"So, Ibuki takes that as a yes, yes?" Ibuki nudged in, leaning towards them as she playfully stuck out her tongue.

"Well, I would love to see the place you find a lot of fun. It's been a first time someone invited me somewhere." approved Chiaki with a smile on her face. Even if she didn't know what was their location, she was just happy that she had a company.

"Yeah…it does sound nice." welcomed Chihiro as well. While he thought that the place they will visit could have been potentially scary, he shrugged off that thought because it seemed very unlikely for someone such as Ibuki to take them to a dangerous place.

"YAHOO! Let's-a-go!" cheered Ibuki as she jumped in the air with a raised fist, imitating a certain plumber.

"Okie dokie!" Chiaki couldn't resist complementing a reference, pumping her fists in excitement before she got a little embarrassed. Neither Ibuki nor Chihiro didn't mind too much, only thing they did was giggle at how excited she got at a mere reference of a video game. Soon, both of them stepped out, but not before Chihiro tapped on her shoulder, stopping her before it was too late.

"Umm...Chiaki? You still have your Pajamas on." reminded Chihiro as he pointed at her, still in her bunny-like Pajamas.

"Wohohoho! Are we gonna go all in Pajamas outside? That would be soooooo cuuuuuuute!" cheered Ibuki at the idea of a PJ walk. "It's a shame I forgot my PJ at home, though."

"Oh...right." blushed Chiaki before she went inside. Once she returned, she had her usual cardigan on, along with a white buttoned shirt, beige skirt and black thigh high stockings. She also brought in a backpack, where she stored her wallet just in case. Slight embarrassment hasn't left her when she returned.

"Sorry, just forgot to change, that is all." apologized Chiaki before they went on their way towards the desired yet unknown destination. Both Chiaki and Chihiro went under Ibuki's umbrella to hide from the rain as the musician lead them to the desired place.

After passing through street after street in a city filled with flats and skyscrapers that had an overwhelming amount of glass built within them, they arrived at a place, where buildings had giant billboards on them, advertising any new electronic based product, be it something for entertainment or for practical usage. Former category was predominant, as most of the billboards focused on advertising latest releases of video games or anime. The area was also filled with all kinds of electronic related stores, storing various of kinds of equipment in them. As they passed through the electronic filled area, Chihiro noticed one particular store with computer components. He stopped for a bit to observe from outside, also noticing that the store was selling personal computers and laptops of various kinds as well. There were even computers that were way past their prime, such as Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum, to name a few. The girls accompanying him also stopped to see what was he so curious about.

"Hey, sorry to bother, but can we check this store afterwards?" asked Chihiro as he meekly pointed at all the computer parts in the store. Chiaki wondered if computer store had any retro games in it, considering that the sight of a Commodore 64 was quite familiar with her.

"Of course! Right after our visit!" approved Ibuki, making Chihiro beam in happiness. After their little peak, they continued their journey towards the destination that only Ibuki truly knew. With each step they took, they passed store after store.

"Oh, by the way, after we discover the secret location, we can also go to places where you two would like to be." suggested Ibuki.

"Heh, that would be fun." nodded Chihiro.

"How about you, Chiaki?" Ibuki turned towards her, but she was gone from her sight. Both of them were startled by her sudden disappearance.

"Erm, Chiaki?" stammered Chihiro as both of them looked around to see if she was near them.

"Chiakiiiiiiiii!" Ibuki called out for her as the fabled musician, along with her programmer friend, began searching for her through out Akihabara, only to find her standing in front of a gaming store that was just a bit further away than expected. Her face was glued to glass as she stared at all the games inside the store with sparkles in her eyes. It was like she was in trance when she kept looking at them, with one game about some futuristic hero with a laser sword facing off against a giant gray gorilla-like mecha getting the most attention from her. Once Ibuki and Chihiro stepped closer to her, the former tapped Chiaki on her shoulder. Upon seeing that she was still staring at video games, Ibuki tapped her ever harder (but just a bit, it wasn't exactly too hard), startling Chiaki in the process. The once glued-to-the-glass gal turned towards her friends as she blushed like a little strawberry.

"Sorry, I just really wanted to check this store." apologized Chiaki as she put her hoodie on her head out of slight embarrassment.

"It's okay!" reassured Ibuki, giving her a pat on her head, "Everyone wanders off at times...though Ibuki might be a champ in this though."

"J-just tell us where you go next time." cautioned Chihiro, trembling a little from before out of concern.

"Understood. I didn't want you to worry about me." nodded Chiaki before they continued their path to the destination.

After so much time navigating through the labyrinth of stores, Ibuki saw their destination right in front of her eyes. She dashed off to it before stopping right in front of the entrance, which resided in the alleyway. A chalkboard sign accompanied the entrance, which had beverages listed on it along with the prices of each drink. A set of construction-like stairs were far behind the sign, leading towards the darkness of the alleyway. Contrast to the darkness of the alleyway, the entrance of the destination was brightly lit by the accompanying lights.

"Tadaaa! Here we are!" announced Ibuki as she pointed towards a cafe, but it certainly wasn't just an ordinary cafe. It was the one that went by the name of MayQueen+Nyan2, famous for its overwhelming focus on cat girl maid. The logo above the doors was in a shape of a cat's head, with two mannequins dressed in two different maid costumes.

"A cat cafe?" asked Chihiro at the sight of the aforementioned cafe.

"Not just cat cafe, a maid cat girl cafe! This is the closest humanity has reached heaven!" cheerfully elaborated Ibuki while jumping around from excitement.

"Cat girls? Like those often found in games about magical girls?" wondered Chiaki with her memory of one certain game about magical girls that she played way before she joined Hope's Peak being still fresh in her mind.

"Yep yep, but we have real cat girls here! Ah, Ibuki can't wait!" confirmed Ibuki before she opened the doors to the cafe, allowing both Chihiro and Chiaki to go inside. Both of them entered the cafe at the same time while Ibuki went inside last when all of them were in it. The cafe was full of tables with two chairs at the side, somewhat brightly lit by the light from the outside. It wasn't as bright as it usually is due to rainy clouds. There were many people inside the cafe, but one of them stood out for the gang: Hajime Hinata, just sitting behind his own table while wearing cat ears. The gang quickly stepped to his table and sat down. Chiaki and Chihiro occupied the table next to them while Ibuki stood up the moment before she was just about to adjust her rear on the seat and went somewhere.

"Hey, Hajime!" greeted Chiaki as she waved at him. He turned to her, slightly embarrassed that she saw him wearing cat ears.

"I don't think any explanation would be sufficient for this." said Hajime in a completely deadpan tone, accompanied by a completely deadpan expression. Suddenly, Ibuki returned to them, holding two black cat ear bands.

"Pomf pomf!" exclaimed Ibuki as she put the bands right on Chihiro and Chiaki's heads before she sat down in front of Hajime again. "Here we go!"

While Chiaki just noticed the band and lightly touched it, Chihiro's face completely turned red from it.

"I-I just hope that people don't mind too much…" stuttered Chihiro as he shakily looked around the cafe to see if anyone was watching them.

"What's there to worry about? I mean, everyone in the cafe wears cat ears." pointed out Hajime while also noticing that most of the customers were just minding their own business, just enjoying their beverages on a rainy day.

"These four are moe!" suddenly yelled a random girl with glasses after she jumped from her seat. She adjusted her glasses with a big confident smile on her face as she took a closer look at the Hope's Peak gang.

"T-they noticed!" immediately panicked Chihiro, trying to hide his face from the public.

"Don't worry about it, Chihiro. Remember what Hajime said." reassured Chiaki as she gave him a pat on the back. A gentle touch of hers helped him to calm down a bit.

"Thank you! You are pretty moe as well!" chirped Ibuki before giving the random gal two finger guns. The girl was charmed by her gesture before she sat down, but that didn't stop her from observing Ibuki's friends.

"T-this is embarrassing…" timidly admitted Chihiro while still being red in his face, but he was no longer hiding it from the public.

"I know how you feel, Chihiro, but I can assure you that no one will judge you here." consoled Hajime, relating to the feeling of embarrassment his tiny friend had. Wearing cat ears in the public was something neither of them truly experienced before. Chiaki has a somewhat similar experience with cat ears thanks to her hoodie while Ibuki was a master class cat ears wearer, through her "horns" made the band a bit redundant.

"Naaaw, I think we are all killing it with the amount cuteness we radiate!" complimented Ibuki before giving out two victory signs.

"I g-guess…." stuttered Chihiro as some of the redness on his face started to disappear.

"What do you think, Chiaki? I've noticed that you've been a bit quiet." asked Ibuki as her attention went to her gamer friend, who was quietly observing the cafe. Even after the musician pal gave her a question, it still took a while for her to respond. Not only was this her first time visiting a cafe, it was also first time she went to a cafe not alone.

"Meow?" responded Chiaki as she turned her head towards her friends, causing their hearts to suddenly flutter by her response. Hajime and Chihiro got startled and blushed a bit, while Ibuki audibly gasped when the meow was uttered from her mouth.

"OH! OOOOOOH! IBUKI GONNA FAAAAAINT!" shouted Ibuki before she fell on the floor, acting like she had a stroke.

"Hngh! The cafe is influencing her mind….but I must admit, that was genuinely adorable. Damn it, it's overtaking my mind too!" covertly thought Hajime to himself.

"That just made Ibuki's heart go BADUMPF!" added Ibuki while still laying on the floor. After some time, she picked herself up and sat down on the chair once again.

"These levels of cat shenanigans are getting ridiculous. I don't think we can't get more cat-like than this." commented Hajime the moment before the door behind cashier's table opened, revealing a person that quickly made Hajime take back his own words.

"Welcome, Myaster!" a pink haired cat girl maid with twintails, who was surprisingly shorter than Chihiro out of all people, stepped into the scene before striking a cat like pose in from of the entire cafe.

"_OH GO__D!_" internally screamed Hajime when he saw a cat girl to end all cat girls with his very own mortal eyes.

"FARIS NYANNYAN! FARIS NYANNYAN!" the crowd went completely wild chanted at the sight of a cat girl maid as she started to approach the position of Hope's Peak gang, holding a piece of paper and a pen as she went. Ibuki joined in the chanting while Chihiro and Hajime were left speechless from sheer absurdity of her presence. Meanwhile, Chiaki just quietly but curiously observed what was going on.

"W-what is this, a maid catgirl cafe or a shrine?" wondered Hajime in complete bewilderment, but the cat girl arrived to the table before anyone

"Ah, we have three new apprentices and a seasoned veteran, nya." commented Faris, sporting a cat like smile as well.

"Yes! We have been blessed by your presence!" cheered Ibuki while acting like Faris is her goddess.

"Ummm…..h-hello? Y-you must be Faris, right?" timidly asked Chihiro, not exactly being used to people of the same caliber as her.

"Purrfect guess, nya! It is I, Faris Nyannyan!" confirmed Faris before striking another cat like pose, imitating that one pose where a cat lifts its paw.

"Farissss! Say hello to Hajime, Chihiro and Chiaki here!" Ibuki welcomed Faris to her friends

"Hello there, friends of Ibuki-nyan! Is this the first time you have visited MayQueen+Nyan2?" asked Faris. Rest of the Ibuki's gang quietly nodded, though they were mostly quiet because they didn't knew what to say to her.

"Now, The Great Faris! Listen very closely, as I will reveal this very important information on you!" announced Ibuki as she lifted her hand with

"Nya nya?" Faris's curiosity immediately rose from hearing Ibuki's announcement.

"Today, I saw….a cat!" declared Ibuki like it was the most important news ever, much to Hajime's confusion. At the same time, he wasn't exactly surprised that Ibuki would say that in such dramatic way, knowing her for a while.

"Oooh! Was it with bones or was it a boneless one?" Faris continued the topic with further interest, leaning towards Ibuki like she wanted some pats.

"Quite boneless, if Ibuki says so!" happily added Ibuki to her declaration, so to say.

"There's jargon between cat people?!" thought Hajime to himself, as every single second spent with Faris got more and more baffling.

"Can I ask what does it mean if a cat is boneless?" asked Hajime in a rather unsure way.

"To be boneless means for a cat to turn into a loaf, nya!" elaborated Faris, though it didn't help that much.

"Cats become bread? How do they do that? Do they taste like bread when they transform?" asked Chiaki, imagining how a cat would morph into a perfectly fine piece of bread.

"Erm, Chiaki, I don't think it was meant literally." clarified Hajime, baffled even more.

"In order for cats to lay down, they must adjust their position to a loaf, nya. They become boneless when they lie down in boxes too. This also proves the fact that cats are also liquid!" rambled Faris. The ahoge lad felt like his brain was melting from her words, while Chiaki was happy to learn something new, even if she possibly interpreted it wrong.

"I'm already lost." Hajime admitted defeat in a one sided "battle" of cat people.

"Anyway, what would you like to served by Faris' own paws?" Faris switched the topic to get to the point. She prepared a pencil and paper to write down their desires.

"I'd like to have one maple syrup ice coffee, please!" cheerfully requested Ibuki.

"One orange juice, please!" requested Hajime in a bold manner, much to the surprise of his friends.

"I-I'd have...uhh...one cappuccino, please." wished Chihiro.

"And you, Kitty Who Gazes, nya?" Faris turned towards Chiaki, who was gazing at the menu for longer than expected. After a bit of time, Chiaki got slightly startled and looked at Faris.

"Oh...I'd like to have…." said Chiaki before going through another "thinking for a long time" episode. It was starting to concern others due to her pauses in speech."...strawberry juice."

"Okie dokie! Faris will deliver soon!" hummed Faris before she went away from the table. When she got out of their sights, the relative quietness from before returned, giving everyone in the Hope's Peak gang some time to reflect upon the situation.

"Why does she add "nya" in every single sentence of hers?" asked Hajime as if it was bothering him.

"Because that is the way of cathood!...At least Faris told me about it." answered Ibuki before scratching her head out of a sudden itch.

"I don't think that the world is ready for that level of cathood." quipped Hajime.

"I think you just need to grind a little bit of EXP to gain the levels of Faris. You're pretty close, though" said Chiaki in her own lingo.

"Yahoo! Can't wait for Ibuki Mioda to become Ibuki Nyannyan!" cheered Ibuki, raising her hands in the air out of excitement.

"I'm just curious...have you been friends with Faris for a long time?" asked Chihiro after he observed her interaction with Faris.

"Glad you asked, cute lil Chihiro! Yessss, Ibuki has known Faris for three years as of now! I have always visited her cafe as much as I could! She taught me many things, such as how to knead!" Ibuki started to ramble in a similar fashion as her cat girl maid friend.

"Do you have...any practical application for kneading?" asked Hajime out of genuine curiosity because he thought that the idea of a human kneading was ridiculous.

"Yep yep! Just before going to sleepy time, I always knead my bed. It is scientifically proven that when you knead your bed, your sleep will be one hundred times more comfortable!" explained Ibuki while pretending to knead the table.

"...I mean, if it works for you and that Faris, then there's no complaints about it." commented Hajime.

"Hmm...perhaps I could try that one day as well." thought Chiaki to herself. More time in silence passed when Ibuki took a moment to observe the surroundings. There was something that was off to her, but only she fully knew.

"Hey, Hajime." said Ibuki in a rather serious tone after she leaned towards Hajime. It was unlike any of them heard before from her.

"Yea? What's up, Ibuki?" Hajime's guard dropped when he heard Ibuki's tone, wondering if there's something wrong.

"I have noticed something and it's been kinda concerning me." confessed Ibuki out of a sudden.

"What's wrong? I don't think there's anything to worry about, Ibuki. Everything seems fine so far." reassured Hajime

"Yea, it's just that...you seem like you're not allowing yourself to truly have fun." fully admitted Ibuki.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Hajime.

"I've been observing a little and it feels like you are worried what others think about you. You've said to Chihiro that there's nothing to worry about, but that's because you felt the same." elaborated Ibuki, which left Hajime completely stunned. He never thought that out of all people, Ibuki would be one that got on point with his insecurities. Not a word could be uttered from his mouth as his mind was overwhelmed.

"I think you just need to relax. Everyone is here to just have fun, no one's here to judge. It may be really overwhelming for the first time, but you get used to it easy. I also know the current times are...kinda rough, must admit, but this cafe could make us ease our minds for a bit. We can't be constantly stressed out." advised Ibuki with all the sincerity in her heart. Her speech managed to pull out Hajime from all the insecure thoughts in his mind, as his rational thought returned back on tracks.

"...Yeah...you're….right, Ibuki." conceded Hajime as he clenched his fist in triumph, promising that he will just let him be himself during such times.

"You too, Chihiro. There is nothing to be afraid of. Relax and enjoy the moment." Ibuki looked at her friend with the same serious expression as before.

"O-oh….yea! I was a bit scared before, but hearing your speech….did encourage me a lot." responded Chihiro in a similar fashion as Hajime.

"Chiaki, you just need a little more time to get accustomed to the environment, right? Otherwise, you are generally happy when friends are around, as long as it doesn't endanger your close ones." noticed Ibuki as she turned towards Chiaki, who was carefully listening through out the entire time.

"It is true. It's not something I've experienced before. I'm really happy to see more sides of you and thank you for giving out Hajime and Chihiro those speeches." smiled Chiaki, putting her hand on the chest. Ibuki's words made her feel really proud for her musician friend, it was something that she would cherish for a long time.

"No, thank you all for listening. Now then, shall we continue having fun?" said Ibuki, slowly returning the former mood of happiness in the process. All of her gang agreed with it and continued waiting for the drinks.

Suddenly, a hand behind Hajime's chair swiped at his ahoge, causing it to tingle around. Some of the swipes were repeated before he noticed it.

"Hey!" exclaimed Hajime upon finally noticing it as he turned back, seeing a crouching Faris with two plates that had the exact drinks they ordered on them. One plate had the ever fabled orange juice and maple syrup ice coffee, while other one had strawberry juice and a cappuccino.

"Nyan!" Faris mischievously smiled at him, sporting another cat smile. Hajime, while bewildered, couldn't help but laugh at Faris' prank. Chiaki and Chihiro giggled as well while Ibuki was wishing that Faris would do that to her horns.

"God, I wish Faris would do that to my ahoge." wished the random guy, who sat far away from Hope's Peak gang's seats.

"You don't even have an ahoge, bro." said the random guy's friend, attempting to give him a reality check, but that only made the random guy pull out a streak of hair, pretending that he had an ahoge.

"Now I do!" retaliated the random guy, not giving up on his desire to be pranked by Faris.

After her little prank, Faris Nyannyan put two plates on each respective tables, but not before she held a tight grip on them.

"Now then, prepare for the Cheshire Spin!" announced Faris before she spun both plates at the same time out of a sudden. Chihiro got startled a little and worried that drinks could spill during it, but Faris stopped it as quickly as she spun them without any drink even spilling a single drop.

"And here you go, nyan! Drinks are all served up!" declared Faris as she let out a little applause for herself.

"Wow! Now that was an excellent Cheshire Spin!" praised Ibuki before she grabbed her own maple syrup ice coffe.

"Thank you!" all of them thanked as they grabbed their respective drinks.

"Just a moment, the Great Faris! I've got just one question." asked Ibuki just before the great sipping of maple syrup ice coffee would happen.

"Nya? Tell me about it, Ibuki-Nyan." piqued Faris.

"Where is your co-worker today? She's really cute and it's a shame she isn't there. I think my friends would love to see her!" wondered Ibuki, thinking about a slightly taller but different cat girl maid.

"She's currently busy. Heard that she works on a project with the mad scientist who goes by the name of _Hououin Kyouma._However, I cannot tell you about the project as it is quite top secret." answered Faris, immediately causing an increase of interest in Hope's Peak gang, especially about the identity of the aforementioned mad scientist.

"M-mad scientist?" stuttered Chihiro, already thinking that the mad scientist could be some kind of a dangerous villain. It can't be really blamed on him, since most mad scientists have quite bastardly ambitions.

"Exactly, a mad scientist worthy of a title of mad scientist, nya. However, not even he can resist the true power of Nyannyan." boasted Faris as she struck another cat-like pose.

"Powerful…." marveled Ibuki while imagining how Faris managed to get the mad scientist under her control.

"If you wanna meet him, my coworker and his assistant, be sure to visit MayQueen+Nyan2 at any time, since they are also frequent visitors." advised Faris as she gave a wink to them.

"Huh, never knew that mad scientists out of all people could be fans of cat girl maids." commented Hajime.

"Do you think they would try to mix human and cat genes together to create cat girls?" asked Chiaki out of genuine curiosity.

"I mean, there are no boundaries for mad scientists. They probably would." answered Hajime in both deadpan and sincere way at the same time. After they finished their discussion, the Hope's Peak gang started drinking their drinks while Faris remained near them to see if they would enjoy their desired beverages. Chiaki and Chihiro were slowly sipping their d

"Man, this orange juice is beyond excellent!" complimented Hajime rather excitedly, like if he was blessed by all sorts of blessings.

"Oooo, is Hajime an orange juice enthusiast?" wondered Ibuki as she took a closer look at the glass of orange juice and Hajime at the same time.

"Well...I do like a good one." admitted Hajime as all of them continued sipping (or in Hajime's case, quenching) their drinks. All of them had a good time with fellow Faris, who provided them many giggles and surprised during their time at the cafe.

Their time at MayQueen+Nyan2 ended when all of the Hope's Peak gang left the building, satisfied with each drink they had. They gathered around the entrance to recollect their thoughts about the experience in the cafe. However, it was still raining at that time, even more so than before, but it didn't bother them at all.

"So guys, what do you think?" asked Ibuki, leaning towards them in a playful way as she wiggled around.

"That was actually pretty cool!" confessed Hajime, giving her a thumbs up.

"Yea, it was pretty fun! Drinks were very good as well." complimented Chihiro as well.

"Thank you for inviting us over, Ibuki. We had great time." smiled Chiaki, being grateful for what Ibuki did. Deep down, she also really appreciated that she got a first potential friend outside Hope's Peak academy.

"Hehehe, no prob, no prob!" chirped Ibuki, bowing down to them just like a musician would in front of a satisfied audience. All was fun and games for them, until the doors of the cafe opened once again. It was Faris who stepped outside and joined them, however, she quietly stood still among them, contrary to her behavior in the cafe.

"Oh hey, Faris! Is there something you need us for?" waved Ibuki at Faris, but the maid remained unfazed.

"There is something that we need to discuss now." quietly said Faris without any sort mannerisms displayed before. The Hope's Peak gang couldn't help but feel unsettled at the severe change of tone from her.

"Oh...oh dear...Faris, what's wrong?" asked Ibuki out of concern. Without saying a word, Faris lead them to the alleyway and stopped near the stairs, just to be safe from any possible eavesdropping. Filled with various concerns, they have looked directly at Faris, who was just cautiously staring back at them.

"So...Hope's Peak guys. I have a question for you all." whispered Faris, making them lean towards her.

"Are you familiar with…._Daft Capo__?_"

A mere mention of that mafia was enough to cause chills down the spins of Class 77-B's students. Anxiety, no matter how much were they trying to hide it, overtook their minds. Chihiro was left confused, since it was the first time he ever heard about it.

"Daft..Capo? What is that?" asked Chihiro, though he appeared to be quite concerned, since the reactions of his friends implied that whatever it was, it was threatening to them.

"From what has Gundham told us, it's a mafia that plans to take over the school. Only member we know so far is Herman, an octopus...that keeps attacking our friends." explained Chiaki as calmly as she could, but there was uncertainty in her voice.

"A-a-a m-mafia?" stammered Chihiro, hardly imagining that a crime syndicate would have eyes on their friends.

"Assuming what he has told us is true….yeah, unfortunately." added Hajime while clenching his fist, this time out of anxiety.

"...So it has already attacked Hope's Peak academy as well…" frowned Faris as her eyes solemnly gazed at the floor.

"Wait wait wait..." faltered Ibuki as she leaned towards her while shaking out of fear. "Faris, are you implying that….Daft Capo attacked MayQueen+Nyan2?"

"...Yes, it has." quietly confirmed Faris, leaving them in shock. They were left speechless at the realization that by the time they actually got informed about Daft Capo, the nebulous syndicate already made its moves in Japan.

"Would you mind listening to the full story?" requested Faris, since she felt like the information she held could have been vital for her friends.

"Tell us everything, please. Any information about Daft Capo is valuable." pleaded Chiaki.

Faris then began: "Alright, so…"

* * *

Approximately three weeks ago, it was an overwhelmingly sunny day in Akihabara. Sun rays lightened up the entire cafe, causing it to have quite a warm atmosphere in it. On that day, the traffic of customers was rather null, since it was a rather busy day. Faris was just preparing the cafe when the doors of it opened, revealing a customer that she has never seen before. It was Herman.

"Hello, Myaster!" greeted Faris just like she would greet any other customer, not even realizing the actual species of her new guest.

"Hello there!" casually responded Herman as he approached her. When he got closer, she finally saw that her newest customer was an octopus.

"Oh, you're quite an interesting customer, nyan. It seems like the power of moe attracts even marine animals!" commented Faris as she made a mischievous cat smile at him, but Herman just went forward to her.

"I would like to have one Latte Macchiato…." Herman went straight to the point and gave her an order.

"Alrighty, nyan! Anything else to have, Mr. Octopus?" said Faris as she picked up a piece of paper and a pen, writing down his request.

"...and this entire cafe, free of charge." suddenly but calmly demanded Herman as he pointed directly at her.

"...Nyan nyan? Cafe is not on sale, silly." quipped Faris as she struck another cat-like pose.

"I thought I was quite clear. This entire cafe, free of charge. Hand it over now." repeated Herman before juggling with his tentacle arm at her.

"Oh, I see how it is, nyan. You may get the cafe, but only if you beat Faris in a RaiNet battle, paw to paw! Only then it will be decided who shall be the ruler of the Nyannyan!" rambled Faris, but Herman was having none of that.

"You think I'm just messing around, don't you?" warned Herman, giving her a squint as the final warning.

"Faris never messes around. All words I say are truth, nya." answered Faris. Little did she knew what to expect when Herman whistled as a response.

Suddenly, four men, wearing white fedoras and glittering white tuxedos, broke through the windows with back flips before they landed on the turf of MayQueen, striking a few glamorous poses before they looked at Faris with malicious grins.

"N-nya?!" gasped Faris at the sight of men just breaking in like it was nothing. "W-what is the meaning of this?"

"Pretty simple to be honest. Gimme the cafe _right now_ or else my boys will beat the hell out of you!" concisely elaborated Herman, giving her one more chance to be spared.

"P-please! There has to be another way! I s-swear-" begged Faris, but it was to late for her to change Herman's mind.

"Alright then. Punksters, do your job." ordered Herman as he pointed directly at her. Punksters cracked their fists with glee.

"Gladly!" exclaimed one of the punksters as he sprinted towards Faris and grabbed her by her twintails.

"Nyaaa?!" yelped Faris before she was thrown across the cafe, landing right on one of the tables. Just when she tried to pick herself up, the same punkster that threw her across the cafe dashed off to her and delivered an uppercut right in her face, knocking her unconscious. After the knocked out Faris landed on the floor, the aggressor punkster laughed in her face.

"Hah! EZ!" gloated punkster as other mafiosos joined in the laughter.

"Well done, my mang. Now, get rid of all stupid ass anime shit this cafe has. We'll take the maid with us. She's gonna get some real whopping for expanding anime! All the income from this cafe will be ours!" said Herman before he redirected two punksters to carry Faris outside the cafe while he and other two punksters were busy reshaping the cafe in their vision. As two punksters carried out Faris outside, a rocket shaped car, which traveled at speeds exceeding the speed limits, stopped at the cafe.

"Get her in the car, boys!" ordered the driver, opening the canopy, so that two punksters could just simply throw her inside. Once she was placed inside the car, the driver cackled as he drove off to their hideout. None than less, it was a dark day for MayQueen+Nyan2.

* * *

"...so that's how Faris ended up under Daft Capo's claws." concluded Faris. All of them were left shocked from what they heard.

"They just...they just punched you right in the face without any hesitation?" faltered Hajime, having tough time imagining why would anyone punch someone like Faris in the face.

"Mhm." nodded Faris. The feeling of fear inside Hajime was suddenly replaced by sheer anger as his resolve against Daft Capo also rose up.

"...They're full of shit, that's what they are!" seethed Hajime. If there were any Daft Capo members near him, he would have punched them in the face.

"How could they do this..." lamented Chiaki with some anger within her.

"There is no way on this Earth that they could get away with such UNSPEAKABLE crime! You must be avenged!" declared Ibuki. For her, hurting Faris meant going with war against Daft Capo.

"B-but wait! The cafe doesn't seem like its under Daft Capo's control, isn't it?" pointed out Chihiro as some kind of silver lining after the story.

"Yes, because someone saved me. Well, two groups rather." elaborated Faris as she started to become more lively, just like before.

"Who could that be?" piqued Chihiro.

"The Contractors, whose identity should remain secret. Even if I told you about them, you still need to see them with your own eyes. And….._Hououin Kyouma_." revealed Faris, surprising them all with the identity of her savior.

"M-mad scientist saved you?" stuttered Chihiro.

"Yes...when I called for help, he immediately arrived to the scene. Along with his friends and Contractors, they have saved Faris and MayQueen+Nyan2 from Daft Capo." Faris further explained.

"Even though he's a mad scientist, he seems to have a heroic heart. Maybe we could meet him one day." noted Chiaki while trying to imagine how did he look like.

"Sorry for bringing down the mood, its just that I wanted to make sure of something." apologized Faris, concerned for the feelings of their friends.

"It's okay. We are really glad you have trusted us your story. We promise you that we will stop Daft Capo and never let those attacks happen again." promised Chiaki, since her resolve against the aforementioned crime syndicate also increased after hearing Faris' story.

"Wait, really? That's a monumental task for us!" warned Hajime, keeping in mind that they don't even have enough information about it in the first place.

"Hehehe, thank you, guys! I wish you good luck. Farewell, nya, and see you on Tuesday!" thanked Faris before the Hope's Peak gang said goodbye to her and went their own ways.

"Tuesday? What will happen that day?" wondered Chihiro, as if Faris knew that something could happen on that day.

Before both Ibuki and Hajime went to their own homes, they decided to take Chiaki and Chihiro to their house. They were discussing about the events from before on their way.

"Are you sure about what you've said, Chiaki? I agree that we have to stop Daft Capo, but it's still putting us at incredible risk" cautioned Hajime.

"It is true that we don't know much about Daft Capo and you are completely right, but we can't let these attacks happen. Even if we are united and don't stand a chance against it, there's always hope in Hououin Kyouma. Judging from Faris' story, he managed to score a victory against them with the help of Contractors. Perhaps that might give us a chance...I think." reasoned Chiaki before she started doubting her words. She wanted to stop the attacks, but the fact that they were going up against a mafia was a point of many considerations for her.

"But who even is this Hououin Kyouma, aside that he's a mad scientist?" Hajime brought up a point, which made Chiaki reconsider even more.

"I'm not sure...I hope we meet him...Maybe." wondered Chiaki, curious about the true nature of the scientist. As they went home, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Hououin Kyouma….Hououin Kyouma…" Chiaki's mind was occupied by the name of the mad scientist. She just couldn't forget it after hearing that he saved Faris.

Meanwhile at the outdoors of the cafe, Faris looked around to see if anyone suspicious crosses her sight. Luckily for her, there was

"Alright, it's time to report to them." said Faris to herself before she brought up her own pink decorated telephone.

"Moshi moshi, nya!" greeted Faris through the phone.

"Feline Fatale, status report!" demanded the voice.

"I've met four Hope's Peak students today in my cafe, nya. Told them what happened to MayQueen+Nyan2 three weeks ago." reported Faris with all the mannerisms of the Nyannyan.

"So, what's the chance that they'll join our side?" asked the voice through the phone.

"Faris saw in their eyes that their resolve against Daft Capo sparked quite drastically, so that gives us a big chance that they'll join us." answered Faris

"Excellent work! You will be rewarded this Tuesday! By the way, how's our package going?" praised the voice.

"Oh, it should arrive soon enough, but now we must go, nyan. Cute and cuddly, over and out." reported Faris once again before ending their call. After the deed was done, she returned to the cafe, with a cat-like smirk on her face, feeling quite accomplished with her mission.

On the other end of the communication procedure, in a base beneath Hope's Peak academy, Skipper ended the call on his crusty but admirably improvised Nokia telephone as well. He turned to his own colleagues with satisfaction in his eyes.

"Well boys, it seems like our cover operation "Scoop the rest" started quite smoothly. Soon, our numbers against Daft Capo will increase!" announced Skipper, which he was met with an immediate applause from his colleagues. He was feeling so accomplished that he started flexing with all the macho-like expressions he could make as quickly as possible, but there was one thing that he still needed to bring up.

"But for now, lets wait for our package. Our boy mad scientist better hurry up!" reminded Skipper as they continued plotting new plans, covert or not, against Daft Capo.


	9. The Turning Point

Monday, a day well known for not being liked by children, teenagers, adults, cats and anyone else. It was five in the morning that day, when one programmer dork and one gamer dork were still sleeping in the same bed, still hugging each other, just like before. Suddenly, Chihiro Fujisaki slowly woke up and saw that sleepyhead that went by the name Chiaki Nanami, still being quite deep in her sleep. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her sleeping just so comfortable near him. Then he turned out towards the alarm clock and spotted the time on it. He realized that it was time to get prepared for school.

"Hey, Chiaki!" quietly called out Chihiro for her to wake up, but she was still hibernating like a little teddy bear, snoring quietly along her sleepy way.

"Chiaki!" Chihiro grabbed her by the shoulder and gently shook her to wake her up. It seemed to work, as Chiaki's eyes slowly but surely opened.

"Mmmmmm…." mumbled Chiaki as she wiped her eyes before she was fully awake. A blurry vision of her friend became clearer. "Hey, Chihiro."

"Good morning, Chiaki." greeted Chihiro as both of them stopped laying on the bed, instead opting to just sit on it.

"What's up? Is there something you need?" drowsily asked Chiaki, being moments away from falling asleep again.

"Oh, I j-just wanted to tell you that we have school today, that's all." reminded Chihiro, which was enough to fully awaken her. Her irises shrunk from a surprise, considering that she nearly forgot it was day to go to school. Time management and Chiaki Nanami were never really that close, considering all the nights she spent before.

"...School today?" uttered Chiaki with sleepiness in her voice going away. For a moment, she thought she has overslept and could have been late to school, something she thought she couldn't afford to do.

"D-don't worry, we still have time. Just make sure that you...don't forget...to change your clothes." reassured Chihiro, easing her off while also reminding her to not go outside in her Pajamas once again, since it was still raining outside and she could have caught a cold.

"Got it." nodded Chiaki before both of them went out of the bed and started preparing themselves for the day. They brushed their teeth before they changed their clothes. After doing all things necessary, they were basically prepared to go, even if it was too early to go. Suddenly, a loud beeping noise was heard from her room. Chiaki grumpily frowned when she heard it before she headed to her room. Startled by her sudden bad mood, Chihiro followed her to the bedroom.

"C-Chiaki, is there something wrong?" asked Chihiro as the gamer girl shoddily attempted to turn off the beeping clock. After some attempts, she managed to shut it off completely.

"...Alarm clocks." grumbled Chiaki before she turned towards him

"Um...what about them? Do you not like them?" asked Chihiro. While he felt relieved that he didn't personally upset her, it came off rather surprising that something considered not that significant but annoying to some extent could get her riled up.

"They're a real life equivalent of a game crashing right when you had a good run. Usually happens when I have really nice dreams." ranted Chiaki in an oddly passionate tone about it, raising her finger to put further emphasis. Chihiro didn't exactly now how to respond, considering that he hasn't seen that side of her. An awkward silence followed, with Chiaki realizing that she herself didn't know how to continue without making it even more awkward.

"...But don't worry, Chihiro. Having you waking me up made my morning much better." reassured Chiaki, changing both tone and feel of the conversation. She gave him a sincere smile as she put her hand on her chest.

"R-really?" stuttered Chihiro, being caught off guard by her compliment. His face was rather red from blushing.

"Yeah….it was really nice." confirmed Chiaki, sounding rather dreamy about it. After a long pause in her speech, she reminded herself about the school. "Erm...how much time do we have now?"

"About...half an hour, if we go to school by walking." responded Chihiro after glancing at the clock, just to be sure that he got the time right.

"Ah, okay. Still plenty of time….I think." said Chiaki before they went off to have breakfast and then spend some time together before the school.

Thirty minutes have passed ever since they woke up. Chihiro was waiting in front of the entrance while also holding a bag with his laptop in it. Programmer dork was also holding an umbrella, since the rain continued just like during the weekend.

"I think we should be ready to go now. Do you have everything for school, Chiaki?" asked Chihiro, but his gaming addicted friend was not anywhere nearby.

"Chiaki?" Chihiro tilted his head as he began searching for her, only to find her in the living room, cramming as much handheld consoles, from retro to modern, as possible in her small cat shaped backpack. She also included cartridges of some games, just so that there would be decent amount of variety in selection.

"Chiaki, what are you doing?" asked Chihiro, being rather confused at what was she doing.

"Oh, I'm just packing consoles and games for everyone. I have to make sure that everyone has a chance to have fun." explained Chiaki herself with a smile on her face

"That is wonderful, but wouldn't that make your backpack...a little too heavy?" Chihiro raised a point after witnessing how many games and consoles she has put inside her backpack. When she was done with packing her stuff, she attempted to lift her backpack, but was soon encountered with the issue of her payload being heavier than expected.

"...A bit." admitted Chiaki with her holding on the straps. She felt all the weight of her video games on her back.

"You wouldn't mind if I helped a little, right?" Chihiro offered help immediately due sheer instinct.

"Anything from you, hehe…" giggled Chiaki as her programmer friend put his hand on the bottom of the backpack and pushed it upwards. Due to weight being distributed on Chiaki's back, Chihiro didn't have much issue pushing it a bit up.

"Is it easier now?" Chihiro asked for some feedback.

"Yep...I think." nodded Chiaki, not feeling the same amount of weight dragging her down as she did before.

"Alright then! Lets go!" said Chihiro before both of them headed outside. Both of them walked very closely to each other as Chihiro's umbrella protected them from rather heavy rainfall. The dark gray clouds loomed over them as they went on their journey to their school. Various people passed by as the rain was in the middle of creating puddles all over the roads. As they went, they stopped by the crosswalk, waiting for the traffic light to turn green on the other side of it. Suddenly, a speeding car arrived, driving right on the puddle near them. Chihiro noticed almost immediately while Chiaki was busy gazing at the cloudy sky.

"W-wait!" yelped Chihiro as he lowered his umbrella to shield both of them from the incoming splash. Luckily for them, neither of them got sprayed, as all of water went right on his umbrella.

"Huh? What happened?" wondered Chiaki after her mind returned to reality. She looked around to see why was her programmer buddy holding an umbrella like that.

"J-just a car drove through a puddle and nearly completely splashed you." Chihiro explained her that brief moment.

"...Oooh. Thanks." Chiaki tilted her head before she realized what happened.

"Heh, no problem." smiled Chihiro before the light turned green, enabling them to reach the other side.

After so much walking under the rain, they arrived near Hope's Peak academy. They sat down on the bench near a fountain. Despite taking some time with walking, they were still quite early. No one but them was nearby. Chiaki looked around to see if anyone was coming to them before she put her arm inside the backpack.

"I think we are still early. Maybe...we could use this time to…" said Chiaki, pulling out two handhelds out of her back. "..play games!"

"I don't think anything prevents us from having a little fun, so...yeah!" approved Chihiro as Chiaki gave him one of the handhelds. After turning their consoles on, they started their gaming session with one of the portable Galaga games. It had a co-op mode, so that they could play the game together. And thus they played.

Suddenly, a stout classmate of Chiaki's approached them, arriving from the same direction as they did before.

"I see that you two are together once again. Despite the short amount of time, you two seem almost inseparable" commented Ryouta Mitarai as he slowly arrived near the bench, observing them with curiosity.

"O-oh, hello. Ryouta Mitarai, right?" meekly greeted Chihiro.

"Yes, I suppose. Do you mind my presence here?" asked Ryouta Mitarai, making sure that he wasn't intrusive.

"Join in! I have plenty of consoles today!" invited Chiaki while she held up her console, much to Ryouta's surprise.

"Hmmm...Are you fine with me just being a spectator?" reconsidered Ryouta Mitarai as he just stood next to them.

"Yeah...nothing wrong with watching, but maybe next time, give it a try?" murmured Chiaki, wishing that he would join instead. She considered that it's a lot more fun playing together than

"Perhaps…" uttered Ryouta, giving her some hope that he would join one gaming session.

"I have to admit that the amount of trust you two have shown for each other is impressive. I have been mostly on the sidelines to see how everything goes. Some of the students get along, some...far from it. But bonds like these…I guess trust can be worth it after all." Ryouta gave out another comment regarding her. Sights like those made him rethink about being distant from others.

"Friendship is something that should be forever treasured, but if I'm honest….it's thanks to my wonderful classmates and students of Class 78th that I've managed to pull through." admitted Chiaki while practically gleaming when talking about students.

"Wonderful classmates? Are you sure about that?" Ryouta raised his eyebrow, being rather bewildered by the fact that she trusted all of them so quickly. Knowing from his experiences, blind trust could lead to big time trouble.

"Mhm." happily nodded Chiaki, but he did not share the same sentiments as her. Ryouta felt like there was something off with being so optimistic about it.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I don't fully believe you truly know some of them. They might offer surprises, to say at least, and not every of them good." cautioned Ryouta, taking in consideration that some of the classmates have displayed some warning traits already.

"….Yeah, you're right….but it's not wrong to believe in them, right?" acknowledged Chiaki as she sadly looked at the screen of her console.

"Your current circle of friends seems to be perfectly worthy of trust, especially the little one next to you." reassured Ryouta after noticing that her cheeriness seemed to be knocked down for a bit. His reassurance made Chiaki a bit happier.

"W-well….have you met someone you could trust as well?" asked Chihiro, curious about him considering that not only he rarely saw him around, let alone being with someone in the first place.

"Hmmm….to say that I didn't...well, that would be quite false." confirmed Ryouta before another stout student visited them. He was taller than anyone in the group and was also dressed like bartender.

"Greetings." greeted Figottoni as he approached Ryouta.

"Ah, Figottoni. What brings you here? You are quite early." casually responded Ryouta, feeling rather relaxed around his foreign friend.

"Indeed, I have arrived earlier than I have intended to. I was just desiring some company before our classes start. What are you up to for this rainy day?" said Figottoni.

"I was just waiting for others to arrive, nothing else much." answered Ryouta.

"Oh, w-we were just playing games while waiting for others too." added Chihiro as he looked at the bartender who seemed much older than he actually was. Chiaki was quietly listening to their conversation, following it while playing games at the same time.

"I see. I assume that gaming is one of your passions." noted Figottoni as he pointed at her consoles.

"Mhm…" nodded Chiaki.

"That is quite swell. It is good share passions around, it's what connects people. You see, I have a particular passion too." approved Figottoni as he glanced towards the building of Hope's Peak itself.

"Architecture, if I remember." Ryouta spoke from his memory.

"Correct. Every now and then, just before I go home, I often take a closer look at this school and marvel at its style and how it contrasts from skyscrapers and stores of the city. Sometimes, it makes me wish that I pursued architecture instead of being content by the status of a simple bartender." smiled Figottoni as he told them about his interest. It was a rare sight to see him smile, considering how much his expression is basically a neutral frown.

"...So you feel it too." lamented Chiaki after hearing Figottoni's words.

"Um...feel what exactly?" wondered Chihiro out of concern.

"I've always felt like talent was something that locked my path in life. There are no other choices, no freedom, nothing. Only thing I'm good at is games and this is what it will define me for the rest of my life." expressed Chiaki while looking at the screen with a slight level of sorrow in her eyes.

"N-no, that isn't true! You can be whatever you want to be, regardless of talent!" spoke Chihiro out of an instinct in order to help his friend out. He stopped himself out of anxiety, thinking that he said something wrong, but it turned to not to be a case, as she smiled at him.

"Chihiro…" murmured Chiaki before she laid her head on his shoulder. He blushed when she did that, but it wasn't exactly surprising for him after she basically invited him to cuddle together in one bed without hesitation. "...Thank you..."

"I strongly agree with your friend. What you gotta do is that you must put good faith in yourself. Though I must mention, even though I take no shame in being a bartender, it is something I do out of respect." said Figottoni

"Perhaps for someone close to you?" wondered Ryouta.

"...Yes, but that is a story for another day." lamented Figottoni

"I've been meaning to ask and somehow haven't done before, but from what class are you, Figottoni?" Ryouta switched the topic to something he always wanted to know, but forgot to ask before. Suddenly, another student, dressed like a rockstar, completely destroyed the calm atmosphere of the gang as he slid down on his knees. When he stopped, he performed a rather intense riff on guitar before he yelled:

"CLASS SIXTY NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEEEEE, BABY!"

It was Zapatta.

"...Really, dude?" squinted Ryouta at the sight of the decently known drama maker.

"ow, my goddamn knees…" quietly yelped Zapatta before he stood up with bruised knees.

"I-is everything okay?" asked Chihiro after seeing what has the rockstar dude done.

"Yah, it's fine. However, choosing Class 69….worst mistake of my life!" chortled Zapatta before he expressed what he considered to be one of the least good decisions he has ever done in his life. No one but Figottoni exactly knew the cause of such thinking towards his class.

"How do you even tolerate him?" Ryouta leaned towards Figottoni to quietly discuss about the rockstar.

"We have known each other for a long time. You get used to it." calmly explained Figottoni.

"Zapatta, how many times have I told you to not do stupid shit like that?!" grumbled Suifta while arriving towards the bench where the Hope's Peak gang and her group of friends resided.

"Aiiiieee, w-was just making a cool scene, that is all!" yelped Zapatta while trying to excuse himself, only for Suifta to give him a squint of disapproval. "Please don't give me that look!"

"Yo, sorry about that. Don't mind him too much, he can be like that...pretty often." apologized Suifta to the everyone present there.

"It's okay...I think." reassured Chiaki while still laying on Chihiro's shoulder.

"That's one way to answer a question, to say at least." said Ryouta while looking at the rockstar with caution.

"Hey, I think I know you two. You two are friends of Ibuki, right?" Suifta turned towards the Hope's Peak gang after recognizing them. During the previous week, she saw them hanging around a few times.

"Yeah, she took us to the MayQueen+Nyan2 yesterday. We met her friend as well." confirmed Chiaki while also reminiscing the time she spent with her gang at that cat girl maid cafe.

"Oh, really? That sounds pretty dope. Is she also a cat person? I wouldn't be surprised if she was." asked Suifta, assuming from not only Ibuki's appearance, but also her very questionable mannerisms. Both Chiaki and Chihiro nodded to her question.

"Yep, just as expect, though one thing. Tell her...that her beats are pretty fire." reminded Suifta as she pointed at them by making a finger gun gesture. But as soon as she spoke of the horned musician, Figottoni noticed two people approaching them.

"I think Ibuki is coming right now." pointed out Figottoni as he saw them first.

"Wait, where is she-" Suifta looked around to see her friend, only to find that horned musician hanging from Hajime's arm like a little monkey. For reasons that only Ibuki knew, she nibbled his arm while hanging. As he was carrying her like that, Hajime had an expression as if he saw everything at that point.

"...Look at that mad woman go." perplexed Suifta, being completely baffled by what was Ibuki doing. Meanwhile, Chiaki and Chihiro were just happy to see them.

"Nomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom." Ibuki happily munched on his arm. Her nibbles were rather soft, so tall ahoge boy didn't exactly feel any pain from her bites.

"...I can explain." deadpanned Hajime while still carrying his musician friend. It seemed like he had no issue carrying her like that.

"Go on." Suifta offered him an initiative to explain himself, curious about two things: how did he manage to get her like that and how did he manage to carry her without issues.

"Okay, so basically, for some reason, decided that it would be a good idea to hang on my arm while we went to school. I tried to tell her that it was ridiculous, but she gave me that look again. Hard to resist when she does that." Hajime told them the entire story how it came to be like that. Chiaki was slightly blushing, imagining to be carried like that as well.

"You carried her like that through out the entire way? Damn, boi, you strong." complimented Suifta as her eyes widened. She also gave him a thumbs up for his "accomplishment", to say at least.

"I'm..not that strong." denied Hajime. Meanwhile, Zapatta looked at his own arms to see how they compare to the ahoge boy's.

"Come to think of it, my arms are kinda lanky." commented Zapatta after taking an observation.

"Oh, I see a girl gang here! Heyooooo!" Ibuki noticed them and jumped off Hajime in order to get closer to her tech obsessed friends.

"Hey hey, Ibuki and Hajime." greeted Chiaki, slowly and meekly waving at them.

"Ooooh, I see you are playing Galaga! That series is like, really cool!" cheered Ibuki after peeking at Chiaki and Chihiro's screens, witnessing spaceships fighting against pixelated aliens.

"Wait, Galaga? Count me in!" smiled Hajime as he joined in as well.

"You two are Galaga fans too?!" Chiaki suddenly jumped off the bench like a little bunny and got really close to them. Her eyes were rather sparkly from sheer geekiness she displayed in front of the everyone.

"Y-yes, y-yes, now some personal space, please!" stammered Hajime due to how quickly she got close to him. Just like he requested, Chiaki moved a bit to not be that close as before. Meanwhile, Zapatta's jaw dropped after witnessing someone like Chiaki become like a bunny in such a short amount of time.

"Damn, quiet like a mouse, then blasted off like a rocket." commented Zapatta in a bewildered fashion. "Hope's peak gang is...certainly something at times."

"Yep, but they seem pretty chill about it...compared to our class, at least." shrugged Suifta, thinking that it was a more pleasant alternative just seeing them around rather than to deal with whatever their class had.

Time has passed and more boys and girls of Hope's Peak arrived to the scene. It became obvious to them what must they do.

"Alright, I think our classmates have arrived. Which means…" said Hajime at the sight of the incoming classmates.

"Yep. The day has started." confirmed Chiaki before all of them separated their ways and went to their each respective class.

Somehow and surprisingly, the day was pretty normal for all of them. There were no incidents, Chisa Yukizome was being dorky in front of her own class (or some may say a total embarrassment) and even Nagito Komaeda had a relatively normal day by average standards. As it was time for lunch, Hajime, Chiaki and Ibuki gathered around in the hall for a discussion. Class 78th had the same time for lunch as Class 77-B, so they picked Chihiro on the way as well.

"Hey, I think we should discuss some things with certain someone." Hajime initiated their plan for that moment.

"Gundham?" wondered Chiaki after remembering how much info came from him.

"Yeah, him." reluctantly confirmed Hajime, being prepared to whatever nonsense the wizard man was going to throw at him.

"What sort of magic will he showcase us? Will he be like "Mwahaha, I shall reign upon this world with my iron fist of darkness!" or like that?" asked Ibuki while also imitating him uncannily well.

"...Not chuunibyou nonsense, we need to discuss the real important stuff." deflected Hajime

"Oh, right right right. That." nodded Ibuki before all of them went to the dining room to eat their lunch. Time passed, yet there was still no sign of Class 77-B's master of chuunibyou shenanigans.

"Seriously though, where is he?" wondered Hajime. Just when they needed him the most, he wasn't there.

"Maybe he discovered a portal to the underworld and then decided to build an army of demons there?" suggested Ibuki with her mind temporarily being adjusted to think like Gundham.

"Maybe he's just-" Chihiro attempted to say something, but was soon interrupted by a sudden opening of doors, finally revealing Gundham, who looked rather disgruntled that they. The Overlord boy also had scratches all over the face, but he didn't seem to mind them that much.

"Speak of the….Overlord." deadpanned Hajime after seeing him. His friends turned around to see the Overlord as well. Gundham slowly approached inside to get something to eat.

"W-what happened? Is everything okay? Do you need treatment?" Mikan immediately rushed to help him, only for him to make a hand gesture to cease further movement, to which she meekly went away.

"The Shogun returns from a scorched battlefield to seek tranquility within self." explained Gundham while also rustling his scarf to make it look like a breeze carried it. Most of the students there, including the trio from Class 69, just gave him weird looks. Some not so much, since they got used to his mannerisms. However...

"Woah!" gasped Sonia in sheer awe when she heard Gundham's rather bold words.

"….Okay, but what exactly happened?" asked Hajime while not sharing the same sentiment as the princess classmate did.

"...Four Dark Devas of Destruction have gotten quite territorial today. The battle raged on since the Sun has risen from the grasp of the horizon." elaborated Gundham in a more relaxed tone. It came off as a bigger surprise for his classmates and other peeps that a bunch of hamsters could do this to his face.

"I didn't know hamsters were so hardcore!" praised Sonia as her eyes sparkled.

"I didn't know hamsters were even capable...of that." faltered Hajime while imagining a battle between Gundham and his hamsters.

"Um..Hajime?" whispered Chiaki as leaned towards him as if she was to entrust him a secret.

"Yeah?" Hajime took interest.

"What is….a hamster?" asked Chiaki with all the sincerity in her tone.

"W-what what what do you mean you do not know what a hamster is? Did you actually think those were demons?" For a brief moment, Hajime's brain stopped working. He came to a realization that a gamer she was, a zoologist she was not. After his bafflement disappeared, he decided to explain it to her as politely as possible.

"They're those fluffy animals that Gundham has. Oddly a lot fiercer than they look like." Hajime attempted to explain without being too baffled by her question. Thanks to his explanation, it became clearer for her

"I-I think we could ask him now" suggested Chihiro as the gang stood up and approached the brooding wizard student.

"Hey, Gundha-" greeted Hajime.

"Aaaah!" Gundham got spooked and prepared his fighting stance, but soon regained not only his composure, but act as a wizard when he crossed his arms. "I mean, MWAHAHAHA! I did not expect this amount minions to gather around the Overlord. What brings you here, my minions?"

"Remember that time when you returned from the toilet and then info dumping us with all the stuff regarding...you know?" asked Hajime while trying to approach to his level.

"Fuwahaha, of course I, Supreme Overlord, remember it as well as I do the Darkest Era, when foul beasts ravaged through the lands of mortal kind. Many mortals deemed innocent died by the cruel hands of-" Gundham started fantasizing already. Despite most of them not taking him too seriously, some of the stuff he said managed to frighten Chihiro quite a bit. He hid himself behind Chiaki out of the instinct. After witnessing her friend being afriad, Chiaki knew to step in.

"...Tone it down. You're scaring Chihiro." bluntly warned Chiaki as she scowled at him.

"...Wait, really? Huh.." quietly blurted out Gundham, being flabbergasted by the fact someone was, for once in his life, actually afraid of him. An awkward silence followed, with Gundham trying to adjust his mannerisms in order to not scare the tiny programmer boy. "Perhaps intimidation and fear is not the most optimal way to recruit."

"Anyway, I think already know what do you all desire...but we must discuss that after school." smirked Gundham before he gave out his suggestion.

"Erm, why? I don't see any issues if we discuss it now." argued Hajime.

"Malicious eyes observe while its prey are drowned in ignorance." warned Gundham in a rather serious tone, quite different from the one that he used to tell about the Darkest Era fantasy of his.

"...What does that even mean?" asked Hajime, being a bit annoyed by Gundham's vagueness.

"Wait wait wait! I think I know what you mean...and yeah it's kinda spooky to think about it. He always comes from the dark." Ibuki caught on rather quick after realizing that certain octopus lad could be watching them any time and could potentially strike at any moment.

"Speaking of that, has any of you mortals seen Kraken of the Land?" piqued Gundham, seeing how no one has spoken directly about him at that time.

"Nope. No sign of attacks from him today." confirmed Chiaki.

"I-I don't think anyone in my class got attacked either." added Chihiro.

"Hmmm…quite unorthodox. It would have made sense to assume that it would be nearly every day at specific hours, but he works in strange ways." wondered Gundham

"Hmm...it would be a good idea to talk about it after school...I think" agreed Chiaki before doubting her own words.

"Then it's settled. We shall meet each other at the entrance!" declared Gundham as he shook his fist as a sign of triumph. Soon, all of them returned to their classes and continued their rather normal day.

As the time passed again, the classes were over. Chiaki, Hajime, Ibuki and Chihiro waited for the wizard lad to arrive as others, but not everyone, went home.

"Alright so, where is he now?" wondered Hajime once again, thinking about what was taking the wizard lad so long. Soon, he got met by Gundham's already colorful group, that consisted of a team manager and a swordswoman. In the middle of them, Gundham stood like a proud eagle.

"Nekomaru and Peko?" Hajime was taken by a surprise.

"Aw yeah!" cheered Nekomaru boastfully as he pumped his fists.

"It's incredibly difficult to take it at face value, but you have to believe everything Gundham says." suggested Peko while trying to keep a straight face about it. They weren't the only ones that followed the wizard man as another student approached, a much more sharp dressed one that was just barely taller than Chihiro.

"Fuyuhiko too?" blurted out Hajime.

"I'm also the first timer here. Peko said that you guys actually have proper info about Daft Capo, so I decided to check out. I hope all of you better live up to your words, at least." cautioned Fuyuhiko rather angrily, not wanting to deal with anything Daft Capo related in the first place. "This shit about having to face is really goddamn stressful. I mean, except Peko, I don't think any of you know what kind of stuff goes around mafia zones, right?"

"...I don't think I want to imagine it." gulped Hajime, believing Fuyuhiko enough that he knew that Hope's Peak could be in some dire situations if the situation escalates.

"Yeah, it can be better that way. Things that happen in the world of criminal syndicates are….to say beyond fucked up would have been an understatement." Fuyuhiko

"Like that case where one gangster was ordered to be cut up into thirty six pieces and then presented as an art piece to his fellow group?" Gundham gave out an example. For someone that constantly played a supervillain, he spoke in an incredibly condemning tone about it. Everyone around him felt chills down their spines, thinking that incident could be something that could happen to anyone at school.

"_D-__D__on't even mention that __case! _That mafia is off limits by even the ruthless of mafias and yakuza! H-how did you even know about it?!" chided Fuyuhiko, but less out of his usual anger but more out of a fear. While no one but Gundham and Fuyuhiko knew the specific syndicate they were talking about, they seemed to get that whatever it might have been, it would make Daft Capo looks like child's play.

"There are certain things that are meant to be known only by few." answered Gundham as vaguely as he usually did.

"This is….sickening….What would bring anyone to do this?" Chiaki felt absolute disgust when she heard the case. Killing was already off limits by her, let alone someone to butcher a person in such cruel fashion. She felt some kind of sickness in her stomach while thinking about the case.

"Welcome to the world of crime syndicates, nothing is clean and nowhere is safe." lamented Fuyuhiko, knowing the reality of it. The group remained quiet, drowned in fear over what could happen to them if they cross paths with mafia.

"Hold on, guys! We are diving too deeply in hypothetical scenarios. What we should do right now is focus on what we know about it and so far, all they did was to send Herman here to cause some shit among us, but not much else. While it is true that we need more info, but I don't think anything prevents us from KICKING THEIR AAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS…..at least Herman's, if we are being humble." Nekomaru stepped in to reassure that things might not have been as scary as they think they were. Something like his friends feeling completely down was not a thing he could afford to see. For the most part, he managed to brighten the mood around him and raise some confidence in their decisions.

"I mean, if that's what keeping you out of worries, then good for you. Still, though…" hesitated Fuyuhiko but still insisting to join them, despite knowing the potential dangers. It was probably the only option he could do. "...Anyway, where should we even go?"

"Follow the steps of the Overlord, my minions!" advised Gundham as all of them went towards the seamless bush, going through the forest-like area of the park, where Hope's Peak resided.

"Do we really have to go through here?" complained Fuyuhiko as he had to cross all the roots and bushes near him.

"Of course! No adversary mortal shall notice us!" boasted Gundham, going forth without hesitation.

"Ah yes, no one will notice all the rustling we are doing right now." sassed Hajime as they made a lot of noise during their journey. After traversing through the labyrinth of trees and roots, they peeked out of it to observe their surroundings.

"Over here, minions!" shouted Gundham as he pointed towards the garage where his group went previous days. They followed him and waited in front of the garage.

"Mwahahaha! Come forth, as I, the Supreme Overlord, have appeared in front of the secret lair with my minions!" called out Gundham. Those that weren't with him previous times were absolutely confused. Suddenly, the doors of the garage opened, revealing its dark interior towards them.

"Overlord, my man, what did you bring here today?" spoke Skipper with the back of the chair he was sitting on it facing at them. Gundham's gang slowly went inside and took all the free chairs they could find to sit on them.

"Wait, who the hell is talking now?" quietly asked Fuyuhiko as he leaned towards Peko.

"Lets see what you have got." Skipper turned towards them, revealing that he was, yes indeed, a penguin. Kowalski, Rico and Private also revealed themselves to them after their boss performed his introduction.

"Oooh, quite a catch! We've got five fresh new candidates for our little group!" praised Skipper, warranting another boastful laugh from Gundham. Meanwhile, Hajime and Fuyuhiko briefly froze from the sheer of bafflement and bewilderment at seeing the sheer absurdity of a secret anti mafia group lead by a bunch of talking penguins. It felt like exactly one of Gundham's many fantasies and had he told them earlier, they would have simply scoffed it off as another case of his bullshittery.

But he wasn't making it up and all of it was real.

"...Can we….ask where is the bathroom here?" awkwardly asked Hajime, raising his finger to get penguin's attention.

"Hmmm….the bathroom...where was it?" Skipper scratched his beak to remember the place. Bar the garage, penguins didn't utilize the rest of the building that much due necessity...unless they had to pay the rent for the landlord that owned the building.

"Go through these doors, upstairs one floor and when you find a sign with "WC" written on it, you're good to go." interjected Kowalski almost immediately, probably due to his memory.

"Ah...okay…" Hajime and Fuyuhiko went through Kowalski's directions and after navigating to the rather narrow staircase, reached the toilet. As soon as they got near the sinks, they opened the valves of pipes, letting the water stream down sinks. With water, they washed their eyes, just to see if they weren't actually hallucinating. Both of them looked at each other, sharing the same sentiment of bafflement before they returned back to the garage.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Hajime and Fuyuhiko both yelled at the same time, letting out their bewilderment.

"How many times will I have to say "believe it with your own eyes"?" wondered Gundham after witnessing the reaction from his classmates and arguably friends.

"What? Is this the first time you have seen a penguin?" snarked Skipper. However, for some individuals that, if they had a zoology test at that moment, would get the lowest grade on it a la Chiaki Nananmi, it was sincerely the first time she saw an animal like that.

"N-no, not at all, just that…" Hajime attempted to explain

"This feels like an acid trip." flat out admitted Fuyuhiko, crossing his arms.

"Wait, why are we freaking out about them when our enemy is a talking land based octopus?" Hajime then came to a realization that it was pointless to be shocked by things that they have already seen more or less. Meanwhile, the girls (and one boy) thought a little bit differently.

"Oooo, penguins commandos were Gundham's info providers all time? That's so coooooooooooool!" cheered Ibuki

"P-penguins?" stammered Chihiro while trying to make a good response while also attempting to not panic too much. "...Uh...I don't really have anything to say, sorry."

"Hmmm….are you the ones that stole the spoons?" asked Chiaki after she has taken a long time staring at the ceiling, trying to come up with something to say. She also remembered that case when the spoons "mysteriously" disappeared.

"What do you mean "stole", Marshmallow Face? We didn't steal them, we just-Kowalski, what's the term?" Skipper tried to argue back at her before he poked his tall colleague for assistance.

"Obtained through unauthori-I mean vigilant means." suggested Kowalski and even then he slipped.

"Yeah, that." Skipper went with the term.

"So basically stole...I think. Anyway, lets get back to the important stuff." Chiaki switched the topic, since it would have been quite silly to argue about something that wasn't relevant.

"I have to tell Kyoko about this." thought Chiaki to herself, reminding herself that she had to tell a certain student of Class 78th about the solved mystery.

"Yeah...so….Daft Capo. What do you guys know about it?" Hajime attempted to initiate the conversation with them, trying to not sound awkward about it.

"Any specifics you wanna know?" Skipper narrowed down the topics to make it easier for them.

"How about actual proof that it exists, for once? There better be, so that you fuckers and Overlord guy are not making shit up in order to cause-" suggested Fuyuhiko first, but he was soon interrupted by Skipper throwing the files about Daft Capo's presence in Luxembourg and Netherlands. For some reason, he kept the file of the mafia's presence in Denmark to himself.

"...Huh." Fuyuhiko started looking through the files, seeing the things that the already known members have already seen. Hajime, Chiaki, Ibuki and Chihiro also joined in, observing the pictures of glamorously dressed men patrolling the areas.

"This was something discussed in the previous meetings." explained Peko to him.

"Wait, are they European or something?" questioned Fuyuhiko as he kept looking at the pictures, considering that all of the pictures were taken on that continent.

"Oh yeah, they come from the lands of weird tax laws, complications when it comes to food and an eternal hatred of neighbors." confirmed Skipper

"It still hasn't been found from where do they actually originate, though." added Peko.

"Hold the hell up, what is _a European __mafia_ doing in Japan, where Yakuza is all over the place?" pointed out Fuyuhiko one of the things that seemed like an anomaly not only for all crime syndicates, but for everyone's standards as a whole.

"That's the thing, we still don't know...Now wait just a second. You seem to be oddly knowledgeable about yakuza and stuff. Are you perhaps...Yakuza?" Skipper jumped on the table and leaned towards him with a suspicious eye.

"_No fucking shit there! __Wasn't this obvious from the start?!_" fumed Fuyuhiko, partially due to how penguins took taking down a mafia rather nonchalantly, not taking in consideration what crime syndicates are capable of. Somehow, Fuyuhiko's words managed to throw Skipper completely off the rails as the leading penguin stood still like a statue with his eyes wide.

"...Anyone else here a Yakuza member?" asked Skipper, to which Peko raised a hand. Despite being a total shock to penguins, Hope's Peak gang already knew Fuyuhiko's status and talent.

"….Give us a moment." Skipper and his colleagues went to the toilet to do exactly the same thing as Hajime and Fuyuhiko did earlier. After washing their eyes, they blankly stared at the mirrors, trying to comprehend what they considered to be absolutely absurd.

"I can't believe it. They let in a freaking Yakuza here! What's next, serial killers and war criminals in it?!" condemned Skipper while imagining any student of Hope's Peak academy being accepted, despite of questionable status and actions.

"Judging from how the school operates, very likely. As long as you are what they consider to be an "Ultimate", you're in." Kowalski expressed his hypothesis about Hope's Peak's modus operandi.

"Crooked, I tell ya! All of this is crooked!" ranted Skipper before an awkward silence followed.

"So...Kowalski, what's the plan now?" asked Skipper, trying to make sense out of the situation.

"Compromise. It usually works." suggested Kowalski, oddly in a doubtful tone. After the decision, the penguins returned to the garage as the Hope's Peak gang waited rather patiently for them.

"What." squinted Fuyuhiko at them. Others remained quiet, but were still rather weirded out by penguins' reactions.

"So...yeah…Anything you want?" Skipper's attempt to compromise went into fruition. Luckily for him, the only thing that Fuyuhiko truly wanted was to not get fully involved in Daft Capo's shenanigans.

"Just leave my clan out of Daft Capo shit and we're good, got it?" calmly requested Fuyuhiko

"Y-yeah...got it." Skipper chose to respect his wish, just to not get their body parts sold on the black market. At the very least, that's what they thought it would happen to them.

"You know, there's a pattern in their locations." suddenly Hajime interjected after noticing a trend in locations of Daft Capo's presence. "So far, you guys have covered Luxembourg, Netherlands and…"

"America too, if you count that he got us in Manhattan." added Skipper, remembering their first encounter and how it went.

"...What are you hiding there?" squinted Hajime at them while also pointing at the Denmark file.

"Oh, no no, absolutely nothing, my dear Ahoge Lifter. Nothing to be concerned about, you see?" denied Skipper, but that only made Hajime want to know even more.

"I'm gonna ask again...What are you hiding?" repeated Hajime in a slightly angrier tone than before.

"Again, nothing you're supposed to know." retaliated Skipper as if he was looking for a fight with the tall ahoge boy.

"Sure, keep it that way. Truly, hiding something is the best thing you could do when we not only do know very little about our enemy,_ any of us could be potentially killed_. Would you feel comfortable, knowing that you have lead students to their deaths?" countered Hajime even harder. It was so hard, that it left everyone in the garage speechless. Some were even impressed that despite being a normal boy, he channeled so much Yakuza energy in his rant that it wouldn't be surprising if he was in the same league as Fuyuhiko and Peko.

"That...was a good line...I am impressed by your abilities to convince, Persuasive One." complimented Gundham, seriously impressed by Hajime.

"..Alright...you win. So, here it is….not greatest moment, which goes by the name...Denmark." Skipper admitted defeat and threw files about Daft Capo's presence in Denmark, specifically Copenhagen. The first picture revealed was the same as others: men in white sparkly tuxedos and fedoras patrolling around a port. Nothing too shocking for Hope's Peak gang.

"This doesn't seem tooo bad, really. It's just like other pic." commented Ibuki just before Skipper revealed another photo. It became much clearer why penguins considered it a prime humiliation: it was a photo of Private being kicked like a soccer ball by a particularly lanky man, dressed in the similar clothes as other members of Daft Capo as other penguins watched in terror. The lanky man also had a devious mustache, one hell of a goatee and a particularly satisfied grin on his face when performing his action. The photo was taken at the exact moment the lanky man's foot hit Private's stomach with full force. Other similarly dressed men laughed in their faces in the photo. Some of the Hope's peak gasped when they saw the photo, but it said more than enough about the whole situation.

"What did he do to that poor Private…" lamented Peko at the sight of the tiniest penguins being kicked in such a fashion. She thought that Private was particularly cute, so it was especially painful for her to see the photo.

"Boys and girls, this is...the most heinous, the most dastardly, the lankiest man that's in Daft Capo and he goes by the name….Fritz." Skipper fumed as he introduced them to what penguins considered to be their biggest enemy in Daft Capo and that was saying something to them considering that Herman was considered to be quite a menace.

"Is he one of the higher ranking members of Daft Capo?" asked Chiaki, noticing that

"Yeah, he's a part of what they consider to be elite. Why the question, Marshmallow Face?" confirmed Skipper before he gave out a question for her.

"Usually, when someone is named, they must be pretty important...I think." explained Chiaki in her own ways.

"Yeah yeah, I getcha, but I forgot to mention the worst part about it. We didn't take that picture! Daft Capo, or specifically, Herman did it!" Skipper rolled with his eyes before he continued dramatizing about their decisive defeat in Copenhagen.

"It would be rather odd if you guys did it." noted Nekomaru.

"And there's this message he sent us! It goes…" said Skipper before he started reading the message, imitating Herman's accent and mannerisms at the same time. It was a poor imitation, to say at least.

"Gottem, Manhattan boys! Hahahahaha! BTW, American cars are garbo, FIAT SUPERIORE FORD & CHEVY ITALIA SUPREMA NUMERO UNO INDUSTRIA AUTOMOBILISTICA!"

"Herman is a car enthusiast?!" wondered Nekomaru, surprised that Herman actually had another passion other than pissing people off.

"...Am I the only one that is getting some really, really uncomfortable vibes from that message? Anyone? No?" commented Ibuki as she scratched her head, wondering about some implications in Herman's message.

"That turned for something melodramatic. Do you have any more questions about Daft Capo?" interrupted Kowalski to enforce some level of professionalism in the team.

"...Can we go back to the original point?" requested Hajime in a deadpanned tone.

"Y-yeah, there's something you wanted to say. What did you mean?" added in Chihiro, allowing Hajime to speak about the thing.

"Okay so, their presence in aforementioned countries does not feel like a coincidence. There is something that these countries have in common…" Hajime started explaining to them, slowly building up his arguments for the potential motives of Daft Capo.

"Being tax havens? That's just for Luxembourg, though." Skipper brought his point and also an excuse to bash countries that he considered being "tax havens".

"You are not exactly far off, but it's not the specific thing I'm thinking about." argumented Hajime further.

"Economies?" responded Kowalski with a raised (imitation of an) eyebrow.

"I do not count tax havens as legitimate states." grumbled Skipper, sneaking in his complaining in the conversation.

"...Yes, exactly! I know for sure Japan and America have one of the strongest economies in the world. Not sure about European countries, but their economic status could be attractive for them." confirmed Hajime.

"Not exactly sure about Japan, considering I've been hearing a lotta news about stagnation." pointed out Nekomaru, the frequent news watcher or reader.

"And it would be safe to assume that the reason why are they going for Hope's Peak academy is…" continued Hajime.

"Money." Chiaki gave out an answer for him.

"Eyup, they're in for the money. Isn't that right, Skipper?" said Hajime while waiting for Skipper's thoughts about it.

"That is surprisingly basic, to be honest." commented Fuyuhiko, expecting a far more outlandish answer, considering everything they saw and heard about Daft Capo up until that point.

"...Well, going in for the money isn't exactly out of their character, considering how they react to it…" agreed Skipper before he called out for his less than stable colleague. "Rico, imitation!"

Then, Rico emerged from the shadows, wearing shades while also posing like a true Daft Capo member. He jumped on the table and threw fake money on it. Then he started aggressively bobbing with his head like a pigeon along with hopping in one place, shaking his flipper like he was pumping his fist.

"MMMMM DOSH DOSH!" imitated Rico, giving a general idea what an average Daft Capo member acted like. Everyone was baffled, including the penguins, despite dealing with them for same time.

"...Are they really like that?" asked Hajime, baffled once again.

"Worse even." warned Skipper, letting their imagination go wild, even though their encounters with Herman gave a good reference what could other Daft Capo members be like.

"Greed truly infects a mortal mind in the most intriguing ways…" commented Gundham, crossing his arms to look cool.

"Alright, I've also got one. What's their MO? Since you already fought them a few times, how armed are they?" Fuyuhiko brought up another topic for the conversation about that accursed mafia of bizzaros.

"Well, I'm glad you asked, Yakuz-...erm, Fuyuhiko, because we snatched their entire protocol." happily said Skipper before he pointed at the tallest penguin again. "Kowalski, read!"

After bringing in a bunch of papers that were titles "Protocols of Daft Capo", Kowalski began to read them out loud:

"ACT IV: Law of Disproportionate Response.

A member of Daft Capo syndicate should always use means to an end in an appropriate fashion as their adversary. Fist for a fist, knife for a knife, gun for a gun. Guns should be used only for the most extreme of measures."

"...What, are they deliberately putting themselves at the disadvantage? What kind of mafia are they?!" questioned Fuyuhiko again as everything he heard about Daft Capo challenged his views of how should mafias and Yakuzas be run.

"Kowalski, ACT II." ordered Skipper. Kowalski then flipped back two papers to find the aforementioned rule. After finding it, he read out loud once again.

"ACT II: Recruitment Standards

All members of Daft Capo should have considerable and noticeable confidence in their abilities. Nothing too wrong with trusting your abilities, all extent is valuable."

"That...says more about them than it should have." deadpanned Hajime.

"C-can I...ask a question?" Chihiro meekly raised his hand while also switching topics once again.

"Sure, The Tiny One, what do you want to know?" Skipper allowed him to speak.

"Okay so...um...do you guys know anything about their attack on MayQueen NyanNyan cafe?" Chihiro brought up something that he learned a previous day. He thought about it through out the entire conversation.

"...Yeah, it's how we actually found Daft Capo out of their hidings." hesitantly admitted Skipper, but the reason why he hesitated was because he thought that maid cafe was the most wince inducing thing ever created by the mankind. Bar Private, other penguins shared the same sentiment.

"Do you guys know a person named Faris Nyannyan?" further asked Chihiro, to which Skipper responded with totally not suspicious whistling, pretending as if she didn't know her.

"...What kind of blasphemy against all surnames is Nyannyan? Seriously though, what lineage goes by the name like that?" quietly denounced Gundham the Nyannyan lineage for their unorthodox and sense defying choice for surname.

"I think it's pretty cute, nya!" Ibuki added her two cents to the issue.

"...W-well, do you know her?" Chihiro asked once again after the whistling proved to be a non satisfactory answer.

"You didn't hear anything…" further denied Skipper while making whirlwind motions with his flippers before hiding under the table. "Got it?"

Chihiro quietly just nodded at him, realizing that it was classified information...for some reason.

"That's basically a yes." whispered Hajime to him as he leaned towards him.

"Anything else?" asked Skipper if they want anything at that point.

"That should be all for today. It was...rather extensive, to say at least." concluded Peko before she turned towards the Hope's Peak gang. "Do you guys agree?"

All of them did, considering they were pretty exhausted from hearing all the oddities regarding Daft Capo

"Alright then. So be it. We shall see each other soon!" Skipper waved at them as the garage doors opened with Hope's Peak gang slowly but surely packing their stuff. Outside, the rain continued to fall.

"Farewell, Avians of the Faraway Blizzard!" Gundham bid them farewell as well before the doors closed, separating the realms of students and penguins for that day. "This is where we depart. We shall have another fated meeting tomorrow! Mwahahaha!"

Gundham was the first one to go home or as he liked to call it, his "temple of darkness".

"Entire thing felt like a fever dream." sighed Fuyuhiko after trying to cool down from all the oddities he experienced today.

"It was a fever dream, except it was real." added Hajime, really wanting to have some orange juice at that moment. Fuyuhiko went home with Peko and Hajime went with Ibuki, this time not carrying her in a similar fashion as he did in the morning.

"Don't worry, guys! I'm pretty sure you'll get used to it! It was pretty bizarre at first, but it may become something not that unusual as the time passes!" Nekomaru gave out his motivational speech once again before he departed from them. Chiaki and Chihiro were last ones to depart, going together to their homes.

As they went on their way during the rainy afternoon, there was something that bothered Chihiro. Despite the will and resolve against Daft Capo, doubt lurked in his mind. Doubt about whether they could stand a chance against such an unknown and illusory adversary.

"Hey, Chiaki?" Chihiro poked Chiaki's shoulder to talk about something that has been on his mind after the meeting.

"Hm?" Chiaki looked at him, curious about the thing he wanted to say.

"All this talk about Daft Capo and such….do you think we stand a chance against them?" asked Chihiro

"As long as we don't face Fritz, I believe we can do it. They seemed pretty confident about defeating them and they do have experience. We also have Hououin Kyouma and Faris on our side, which does increase our chances...Maybe." Chiaki expressed her usually optimistic belief once again.

"Y-yeah, but what if...someone gets hurt? The story that Faris told us reminded me how Daft Capo members can attack without provocation. I really don't want anyone to be hurt…" Chihiro brought up a point. Even though he felt slightly relieved from Chiaki's words, there was still doubt in his mind.

Suddenly, Chiaki went completely silent, almost unresponsive. She also stood completely still, not making a single movement.

"Chiaki?" Chihiro's worries escalated when she saw Chiaki like that. There was something wrong, he truly felt like it.

"Chihiro...I promise you...no one will get hurt. I won't allow anyone to hurt my friends. That is my promise and I will do everything to fulfill it." quietly declared Chiaki before suddenly grabbing his arm and looking at

"As long as we do it, it will be all okay." promised Chiaki, speaking her words from the bottom of her heart, giving him a smile. However, that smile had some melanchony with it.

"The amount of hope you have, Chiaki..it's reassuring. It's welcoming to see someone who can see light in the darkest situations." said Chihiro as he tightened the grip, fully believing that things weill be alright in the end. They ended up walking together while holding hands.

Their time spending together came to an end when they had to go to their homes.

"It's time to get home, isn't it?" lamented Chiaki. Despite her wanting to spend more time with him, she knew that it had to come for

"Yeah, but don't worry, we will see each other tomorrow." reassured Chihiro, promising her that this isn't the end of it at all, but rather just a start of their time together. Before they fully went their own waves, they waved at each other in farewell.

Chiaki went home fully alone, carrying her backpack while hiding herself by covering her head with her cat like hoodie. She didn't want to stand out among the people, keeping herself at some level of distance. While she was walking to her beloved home, she was looking at the ground with uncertainty.

"All these promises I've said….could I live up to them? Could I even have the ability to protect them? Without friends, I am nothing. A nobody. Could a nobody like me even be capable of such thing? If I fail them…" thought Chiaki to herself while also tearing herself down. For all the words she said to her friends, there was this ever prevalent fear within herself about failing them and ever worse, losing them. Being at Hope's Peak was the first time she ever had friends to begin with, only to be faced with a situation that they could get hurt badly. Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of a sidewalk and looked at the skies. The rain stopped as the clouds became lighter.

"I have failed a lot in my life…but I have to do this. There is no other option. It's for everyone sake. Hope's Peak gave me a chance that, maybe, just maybe, I can not fail. Maybe it will be alright. It's just that "maybe" that makes it worth it. Yeah...I think. I have to do this. _I will protect them all_." After some heavy reconsideration, Chiaki declared within herself that she had enough of living in constant failures of her life before Hope's Peak. It was time for her to dedicate herself to protect others as much as possible, even it would badly hurt her. At the very least, as long as no one else got hurt, it was okay for her.

After all the time spent walking, she finally arrived at home. When she went inside, it felt rather odd to her that she was alone once again. Putting down her backpack, she laid in her bed and blankly stared at the ceiling as she was drowned with all the thoughts she had in her mind. Will it truly turn out alright was one of the most predominant thoughts, even though she truly hoped that the answer would be yes.

"It's time for change..." promised Chiaki to herself. Despite all the promises, there was still self doubt looming over her. Uncertainty was all over the place, but deep down she knew that there's no giving up in such situation. All of her friends have to be protected, that was her dedication.


	10. Hope and Carbonara

_Author's note: I firmly believe that every military has its own favorite food. For example, my country's soldier seem to really like bean soup. I don't know why exactly, but every time they allow civilians enter their bases, they always offer it. Not gonna complain, because bean soup is tasty and I'm quite a military nerd, but it's amusing, to say at least. _

The cloudy day without rain followed. Chiaki was sitting alone on the bench near the fountain, playing video games all by herself. She arrived much earlier than anyone else, just to have some time before school, waiting for others to arrive. It was also a case of her preventing herself from oversleeping. Only slight breeze accompanied her, gently stroking her hair as she kept tapping on the buttons. Despite engaging in the activity she adored, it was not the same feeling as she had when she played games with her friends. It felt rather empty for her, but she held on hope that her friends would arrive soon.

Suddenly, the screen of her console got completely covered by black liquid. Due to it, she was unable to see the obstacles in her game, which caused her to lose a life in it.

"...Huh?" wondered Chiaki as she swiped the finger across the screen before she tasted the liquid. It had a familiar salty taste, which caused her to remember when she felt that taste earlier. It meant only one thing: the company she had nearby was with the last person she wanted to.

"_...__Where are you?_" hissed Chiaki as she turned behind to see if a certain someone was hiding in the fountain. Fountain's water was crystal clear, anything on the bottom could be seen. However, she saw nothing suspicious in it. She stood up from the bench and started patrolling around the fountain. She held the console in her hands as she was looking for a certain enemy.

"Show yourself already, I know you're here." demanded Chiaki, looking around to see if he's close. Her assumption was correct, but his hiding spot was the last place she expected it to be.

"Sorpresa, hoe!" Herman propelled himself from her hoodie before he pushed her right into the fountain. The force of his ambush was strong enough to make her faceplant right into the cold water. Her console went down with her as the contact with water damaged the gaming system to the point of disrepair.

"Hahahaha, gottem! You are moist like a pussy!" taunted Herman, flexing with his tentacle arm to further rub the salt to the wound. Chiaki raised her head above the water and looked towards the enemy she was looking for.

"…_.You_…" scowled Chiaki at the sight of a flexing octopus. She clenched her fist after she picked up her ruined game console and put it inside her wet backpack.

"Yes, me! I am the sexiest motherfucker in the world!" boasted Herman just to further spite her for his own amusement.

"_Stop it. __Entire school has enough of you._" condemned Chiaki while also channeling the sentiment shared by her schoolmates and students of Class 78th.

"Ohohoho, do you really think just saying "stop it" will work against me? As expected of a noob, who sucks at life!" further provoked Herman. His last comment stung Chiaki really hard, but determination to stop him overcame any insecurities she had. He had to be stopped at all costs was the predominant thought in her mind.

"Mmmgrrrr…." growled Chiaki as he fist began to shake from anger alone. Unfortunately, she made one fatal mistake...

She pouted, puffing her already incredibly soft cheeks like a squirrel storing food for the winter.

"PFFFFFFFT HAHAHAHAHA! Oh mio Dio, you are absolutely _slaughtering_ me now!" wheezed Herman as he started rolling on the ground. To him, it was like being threatened by a toothless kitten. Chiaki, being completely soaked, stood up from the fountain and started approaching the one and only Herman.

"Well, Imma go cause some shit here, if you don't mind, so come and get me! As if you will, noob! Hahahaha!" boastfully announced Herman before he dashed off towards the entrance of the school, entering it in mere seconds.

"That octopus is driving me freaking mental." thought Chiaki to herself before she started running after him. After entering the school, she only found empty hallways as Herman disappeared from her sight. Chiaki looked around again to see any traces of him. Suddenly, a thrown egg directly hit her face, splattering yolk all over it. After feeling the stingy impact of the projectile, she wiped off the yolk from her face, only to see that Herman intentionally blew off his cover by returning to his original golden color.

"Hah! You thought I was done with you, noob?! The Hermaning has just begun! Lets see how you like this!" gloated Herman as he started bombarding her with more eggs, splattering all over her with yolk. Not even her evasion attempts saved her from the incoming eggs. Despite all the bombardment, she kept chasing him. Chiaki, however, was no athlete, as Herman had a quite the lead in the chase. Not only that, but all the moisture and yolk brought additional weight, slowing her down even more. Herman greatly enjoyed the fact he was in the lead, taunting her all the way with all the gestures and insults he could gather. Yet, she persisted.

Around the corner, Herman found a bucket filled with water. Almost out of an instinct, he slapped it and caused it to spill all over the floor. Then he put the nearly empty bucket back to its original position, just so that it doesn't seem suspicious. Considering that Chiaki was still far behind of him, he used the opportunity to peek from the corner and taunted the incoming Nanami by making all sorts of gestures and taunts. Once the huffing and puffing gamer girl got too close for his liking to taunt further, he used the spilled water to slide on the floor, gaining additional boost in speed.

Just like he planned, Chiaki tripped when making a turn, thanks to spilled water. She landed right on her back as she yelped in pain when her backside had a harsh meeting with the solid slippery floor. Herman laughed hard when he saw her poor face in shock when she slipped before the fall happened.

"Essere distrutto, scrub!" taunted Herman once more, using the opportunity of her tripping to completely disappear from her sight, leaving her laying on the floor. Chiaki slowly attempted to pick herself up, only for her hands to slip. She used a moment to gain some breath after being exhausted from all the running she had to do just to chase down an octopus and not even catching it to begin with.

"I have to...stop him…." repeated Chiaki before she slowly but carefully stood up from her position. Opting to walk with caution on the slippery floor instead of just instinctively sprint forward. However, Herman completely disappeared from her sight again. The feeling of failure started kicking in, but she refused to give up.

Meanwhile, Herman ran across the ceiling of halls, searching for his next target. On he way, he found one lone brown haired short boy with a rather noticeable ahoge. Just from his stature alone, Herman knew he found a goldmine for provocations.

"Aha, I see who's gonna get gottem'd!" thought Herman to himself before he launched himself off from ceiling, startling the unlucky boy by flicking his ahoge with his whole octopus body before he landed right in front of him. The octopus lad squished from the impact before he returned to his original form.

"GOTTEM!" triumphantly shouted Herman right in front of the startled Makoto.

"Hey! What's the big idea-..._you!_" Makoto's senses returned as he angrily pointed at Herman.

"YES, MEEEEE! Ready for round two, fuckboy?!" Herman boastfully turned around before he showed him an egg, signifying what would happen next.

"Will you just stop it already, you-OW!" demanded Makoto, but unfortunately for him, he was met with a hard boiled egg, thrown like a baseball, to the stomach. The force of a thrown egg was strong enough to knock him down and making him curl from pain.

"Hahahaha, let me tell you this: if it didn't work the first time, it won't work the second time. Now, arrivederci fuckederci, fuckboy!" Herman laughed in his face before he ran away, disappearing from his sight. Makoto was still squirming from agony of the strike when he heard distant footsteps closing in. As they got louder, it was soon revealed that it was Chiaki, still chasing Herman after losing sight of him. However, Chiaki completely halted when she saw Makoto in such state.

"Makoto, what happened?" asked Chiaki before she realized what exactly happened. "Did he…"

The feeling of failure kicked her hard when saw that despite all promises, she failed to protect her friends almost immediately. It seemed for her that she would never escaped the cycle of failure that marked the rest of her life.

"Don't…worry about me, Chiaki. I'll be okay, I promise." reassured Makoto, giving a slight amount of reassurance to her. However, she still heavily worried about him, considering in what state was he at that moment.

"...Is...there anything I can do?" gently offered Chiaki as a compensation to at the very least cure the situation if she failed to prevent it. It was the least she could do.

"Well...a little help wouldn't hurt." approved Makoto, letting Chiaki to lift him up, since he couldn't do it by himself due to pain. After Chiaki placed her gentle grip around Makoto, they were

"On three." Chiaki gave out a sign, just so they could be ready.

"One…"

"Two…"

Suddenly...

"INK BOMBARDIEREN!"

Ink poured on them from the ceiling, spilling all over them. Chiaki shielded Makoto from the pouring ink, covering him with her body as ink got all over her back. To add an insult to injury, both of them were placed in such position that if anyone would pass by, they would have been truly embarrassed.

The source of the poured ink revealed itself and it was Herman, standing above them like a bat as he held the empty spray bottle of his. He closed the spray bottle before he began laughing at their faces.

"HAHAHAHAHA, TWO TIMES THE GOTTEM, NOOB AND FUCKBOY!" taunted Herman as he dashed off across the ceiling, looking for the next target while disappearing from their sight. "Consider yourself beanboozled: deluxe edition!"

"I swear, that octopus…." Makoto clenched his fist in frustration. Both of them got out of that position and stood up, soaked with ink and yolk. "We have to stop him before anyone else gets attacked!"

And thus two dorks chased after that octopus once again, still lagging behind him for quite a bit.

Running across the ceiling again, Herman searched for another one to provoke until the breaking point. It didn't took him long enough to find another point of interest: a white haired tall boy with a jacket, humming along his way without a worry in the world (or so it seemed).

"Aha, three times the gottem today!" chuckled Herman to himself, eager to provoke another one that day. Just like before, he launched himself from the ceiling, but thanks to Nagito accidentally tilting his head by a millimeter, his attack missed entirely. Herman landed in front of the boy of fortune, squashed like a pancake.

"...Hold up there. What? I was perfectly aligned!" sputtered Herman while thinking about how did he, by a mere chance, completely fail to hit him or startle him in the first place. Nagito seemed slightly confused by the sudden appearance of the infamous octopus.

"Hello there, Herman!" casually greeted Nagito as if they were friends of sort.

"YESS MEE-Oh, hello there." Herman attempted to do the exactly overly dramatic entrance in front of him, but only to tone it down after realizing that not only Nagito wasn't angered, he seemed delighted by his appearance.

"What are you up for this potentially beautiful day?" asked Nagito with a smile on his face.

"Same as ever, just chilling and such..but now...SNIPE!" answered Herman, baiting him into thinking that they would just chat a little, only for him to throw a hard boiled egg right at Nagito's private parts (so to say). However, in a complete subversion of Herman's expectations, lucky boy's arm, by complete accident, shielded him from the incoming impact, only to hit it right in his hand.

"Ouch, that stung a little." said Nagito, feeling a slight bit of pain in his hand. Considering his life, it was not the most painful thing he has ever experienced. He shook his hand to ease of the sting. That event left Herman absolutely bamboozled, it was unlike anything resembling first two "victims" of that day.

"Wha? Wha? Wha? How?! It was just moments away!" perplexed Herman, wondering how his plan got squashed by an accidental series of events.

"Huh? What do you mean? You can always throw anything at me, I don't mind!" offered Nagito as he spread his arms. It took a while for Herman's mind to process what did he exactly meant as he was thrown off guard by Nagito's mannerisms and comments.

"...Boi, you into that or something?" asked Herman rather sincerely, being already baffled by Nagito's existence. It would not have been a surprise for him to find out that the boy of fortune was an overt masochist.

"No no no, don't get me wrong. It's not that I find pleasure in it, it's just that I don't mind it at all. After all, trash deserves to be thrown at trash, right?" clarified Nagito, but thanks to the usual Nagito things, his clarification failed to actually clarify the situation with him. Herman scratched his head before he started investigating Nagito, climbing around white haired boy's shoulders like a monkey.

"You living cabbage, you are completely unlike others." snorted Herman, tapping Nagito's nose to at the very least get some (what he considered to be) funny reaction out of him. Yet, Nagito remained the same. "However, that does not spare you from…."

Outta nowhere, Herman brought up his spray bottle and pointed it at Nagito's face.

"EYESCHLU-"

The bottle was empty.

"...I really need to step up my hindsight game, eh?" wondered Herman before calling it quits for that day. Out of all students of Hope's Peak academy, Nagito was something else for him. "That's it, Imma head out."

"Wait, there's some-off he goes, I guess." called out Nagito to ask him many things regarding him, but he quickly disappeared off from his sight. However, he appeared one more time, peeking from the corner as the baffled octopus squinted at him.

"_I'm watching you, Nagito. I'm watching you_." warned Herman, pointing his two tentacle arms like a gesture of two V-signs at the eyes of the beholder before he truly disappeared from his sight. One of the factors uttered from Herman's mouth (well, beak rather) just opened up another mystery for Nagito. It was one of the things that actually caught Nagito off guard.

"Hold on a minute...How did he know my name? I don't think I've told him." wondered Nagito

Meanwhile, Chiaki and Makoto were still running through the halls, still persisting on chasing down him. Suddenly, he appeared from the ceiling, approaching them.

"There he is!" Makoto pointed at him. Herman stopped right above them as Chiaki attempted to grab him by little jumps she made. None of the jumps provided any sort of height to even reach him.

"There he is no more. My quota's done for today." suddenly declared Herman in a rather calm yet baffled tone.

"W-wait, you can't just-" Makoto attempted to counter him, but the end result was obvious for them.

"That mofo weird. Tell him that. Bye." said Herman as he pointed at the approximate direction where one certain white haired lucky boy was before he sodded off, ending his time at school for that day and leaving Chiaki and Makoto alone in the halls.

The halls of Hope's Peak academy were silent once again, with two dorks soaked in ink, yolk and in Chiaki's case, cold water, standing alone. Some of the floor was stained with all the mess Herman made.

"Damn it!" seethed Makoto as his fist shook. If there was a punching bag with Herman's picture plastered on it, he would have punched it albeit with some restraint. He was already sick of not only being attacked by Herman twice during his school time, but also witnessing others being constantly harassed by him. Chiaki, on other hand, had different feelings on the matter. Instead of feeling anger from before, the feeling of failure took over her. She covered herself with her hood, hiding her face as she tried to walk away to be somewhere alone. "A failure of a friend" constantly rang in her head.

"Chiaki, wait!" Makoto called out for her as he grabbed her shoulder. She stopped, but she still looked at the floor, hiding in her hood.

"...I'm sorry, Makoto…" quietly murmured Chiaki, refusing to make an eye contact due sheer shame she had about herself. It was more about how Makoto got hurt by Herman that got her hard.

"Hey, please don't blame yourself for this, Chiaki. It's not your fault. It really isn't. We will get him next time, I'm sure of that!" reassured Makoto, tapping her gently on her shoulder. It did made her stay with him, but her feeling hasn't gone away.

"Ah, I see Makoto and Chiaki together! What a pleasant sight!" Nagito suddenly barged in, only to see them in such sorry state. The white haired boy looked rather confused, wondering how did they get in such state.

"Uh, what exactly happened here?" piqued Nagito

"Herman happened." sighed Makoto while Chiaki still looked at the floor with shame.

"You guys saw him too?" further asked Nagito rather calmly, but he wasn't overly surprised by it, considering that the day they first encountered Herman, he was also a target of Herman's attacks.

"W-wait what?! You had an encounter with him as well?! How did you managed to see him while unscathed?" sputtered Makoto as his ahoge reacted along with him. Chiaki raised her head a bit, wanting to hear Nagito's story.

"Eyup, saw him. Had a talk with him, but he just kinda gave up. I see that you guys had a less fortunate encounter with him." explained Nagito. Both Makoto and Chiaki were confused on how did Nagito made Herman somehow throw a towel and call it a day.

"Yeah…" solemnly nodded Chiaki.

"Don't worry, guys. You can turn those misfortunes into stronger Hope that one day, he might get what he deserved!" spreading his arms once again, Nagito attempted to cheer them up, but something in his eyes felt off to the brown haired ahoge boy. It was like staring at the void, where the endless cycle of fortune and misfortune resided.

"Is that what you define as hope?" hesitated Makoto, having a rather different interpretation of what hope was compared to the tall student in front of them.

"If it gives you Hope, then it's Hope, no matter what! Anyway, there is something about Herman that does seem rather odd." insisted Nagito before he toned down his hopeful tendencies before he raised another point regarding that octopus.

"Not to be rude, but isn't everything about Herman odd?" commented Makoto, somehow worrying that he would look like a jerk saying that. Rudeness and Makoto Naegi never really mixed well.

"On surface level, yes, but perhaps I didn't use the right term. I think a better one would be enigmatic, so to say. I'm talking about motives and such, why does he go on provocation sprees and if its true that he's a part of a mafia...why is he alone here? Is there another" Nagito began expressing his thoughts that he had ever since Herman appeared for the first time. His questions were a little bit eye opening for both Makoto and Chiaki, who were too busy dealing with small scale things regarding Herman, not the bigger picture.

"Come to think of it, those are some fair points. Everything about Herman just seems so out of place, that it's hard to believe." concurred Makoto.

"...He has to be stopped…as soon as possible...Our school lives can't go on like this..." quietly spoke Chiaki as the feeling of determination was slowly overcoming the feeling of failure. Even if they failed first time, there's still a chance to strike back. It wasn't over just yet.

"Oh, absolutely. If every day is like this, it's gonna be a mental torture." agreed Makoto with zero hesitation.

"As long as your Hopes are stronger, you'll beat him. I'm sure of it." smiled Nagito, knowing that there is hope within them. That's all he needed to know. As they hanged around, they heard another footsteps.

"Hiiiiii guuuuuuuuyysss!~" Chisa Yukizome peeked from the corner, but her gleaming smile came to an abrupt halt when she saw Chiaki and Makoto all soaked up.

"M-my goodness, what happened here?" gasped Chisa as she ran towards them, checking them if they were alright. Her motherly instincts immediately activated when she saw her student feeling completely down.

"I think they got attacked by Herman." explained Nagito. When she heard what happened, she immediately flared up from anger.

"If I ever see that octopus, I'm gonna show it hell! To think that all the misfortune he causes not only to my students, but also to Class 78th students..." fumed Chisa inside her head, shaking her fist before she redirected her thoughts into trying to make Chiaki and Makoto feel better. She knocked her head a few times to come up with something. "Come on, think of something! Think of something that will cheer them up!"

Then, she got an idea. A rather unconventional one at that, probably.

"Oh, I know what it will!" exclaimed Chisa inside her head as her smile returned on her face.

"Hey hey, guys! I know the start of the day has been pretty bad, but it's not over just yet! I know exactly something that you guys are gonna like!" suggested Chisa, leaning towards the gamer gal and (un)lucky ahoge boy.

"Huh? What would that be?" asked Makoto when suddenly, Chisa grabbed his and Chiaki's hands, startling both of them. Nagito was just enjoying the view of his teacher bonding with two students.

"C'mon, boys and girls! Let's go!" chorused Chisa as she started skipping like a bunny, bringing two dorky students with her.

"Woah!" yelped Makoto, being suddenly pulled by the hopping teacher. Whole scene looked like a child taking both of their parents in a store to see a toy they wanted, except the "child" in question was an adult and "parents" were two dorky teenagers.

"You can come in too, Nagito!" invited Chisa, stopping briefly just to offer another student of hers a chance.

"I would love to, but I have morning work to do at the moment. I hope you guys feel better when we meet again!" said Nagito before going his way, departing from the hopping group. As they went their ways, halls were empty once again, but not for long because some kind of singing was already heard through out it.

"This looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me…" sang the old janitor to himself, mopping the messy floor. For his standards, the song he sang himself was considered quite modern.

Meanwhile, after running through out the empty hallways and going up the stairs once, Chisa and her gang arrived at the entrance of the swimming pool that Hope's Peak had.

"Tadaaaa! Here we are!" introduced Chisa them to it. Both Chiaki and Makoto tilted their heads in curiosity.

"The swimming pool? I don't think both of us swimwear with us." cautioned Makoto before Chisa suddenly barged inside and brought two blue swimwear, one for boys and one for girls respectively.

"Don't you worry, because school's got that covered! We have more than enough of them for everyone!" bubbled Chisa, giving them swimsuits in their hands.

"Now, you two cuties should shower before we have some fun time at the pool." suggested Chisa, motivating them to go inside and take a little dip in pool's water.

"W-wait, do even have enough time for it?" reminded Makoto, considering that they were during those days when school was quite active in terms of schedules and such.

"Of course we do!" confirmed Chisa before Chiaki and Makoto went inside the locker rooms of their genders to change their clothes. After donning their swimsuits, they went for a shower just before they would go to the pool. Without them even noticing, Chisa took their clothes and secretly washed them somewhere else. In mere minutes, she returned them to the original positions, all being funky fresh and no more stained with ink and yolk. All it had to be done was to dry up.

After taking showers, both Makoto and Chiaki waited in front of the swimming pool. It resembled one used for Olympic games and it was just deep enough for those who greatly enjoy diving could have a little fun time as well. Water in the pool was sparkly blue and so clean that it would make perfectly preserved crystals look dirty in comparison. Two ladders accompanied two parallel sides of the pool, just that swimmers inside could have easier time getting out of it. Both of them waited for Chisa to arrive, thinking that she would serve as some kind of an overseer or even a life guard. Little did they expect that once Chisa suddenly arrived, she also wore a swimsuit, standing proudly as she was prepared to have some fun time in the pool. To say it caused both Makoto and Chiaki to blush after seeing her like that would have been an understatement of the century.

"Are you guys ready?" asked Chisa as all of them got closer to the edge of the pool.

"...No, not really." quietly admitted Chiaki, who was just blankly staring at water. It was quite calm, almost without any sort of waves, yet there was something that held the gamer girl back.

"What's wrong, Chiaki?" asked Chisa out of concern. Makoto also wondered what was with Nanami, also quite worried about her.

"I am a little scared to go in the water. If I fall asleep, I could drown." muttered Chiaki, acknowledging something about her habit and how potentially endangering could it be.

"Don't be, Chiaki. I promise you that you will be safe here and I'll make sure of it! Besides, I can teach you how to float like a little boat and sleep at the same time in water!" Chisa gave her a pat on her shoulder to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

"Really?" Chiaki tilted her head in surprise, especially how confident her teacher seemed.

"Yep yep!" nodded Chisa before she turned towards the blushing Makoto. "How about you, Makoto?"

"I think I'm ready." concurred Makoto before both him and Chiaki slowly went into the water. He provided her some support if anything went wrong. After dipping in, Chiaki held on the edge of the pool while Makoto was there on her side. Water was rather warm, to the point it could be considered to be quite relaxing. Makoto caved in relaxation quite fast while Chiaki still had some time to get adjusted to it, clinging on the edge while worrying about the issue she told them earlier. Chisa, on other hand, had a different approach in terms of entering the pool: she started running towards it.

"Here we gooo!" yelled Chisa in excitement before she launched herself from the edge, leaping across the air. "Bombs away!"

And thus she caused a rather big splash before she got submerged into the water. Makoto was rather surprised by her action while Chiaki just wondered where she went, hoping that she was okay.

"Boo!" Chisa suddenly appeared out of water like a dolphin before she splashed them with warm water out of fun. After both of them being slightly startled by the splash, Chiaki and Makoto started giggling and returned some of the splashes to her as well. Their smiles, once tarnished, returned, beaming like bright stars.

Amid the splashing, Chisa remember what was she supposed to do with her student.

"Hey, Chiaki! Now it's time I can teach you to float!" reminded Chisa, inviting Chiaki to swim over her position. The gamer girl, just like her teacher requested, slowly swam towards her like a little froggy. Upon getting close enough, Chisa requested Chiaki to lay down on the surface and so she did. She placed her arm on Chiaki's back, just to help her align on the surface. Once aligned, she let her hand off Chiaki's back and thus the gamer girl floated on the surface with tranquility.

"There we go! How is it?" asked Chisa while watching Chiaki float like a boat.

"...It's...nice….really nice." smiled Chiaki, finally feeling relaxed in water. She attempted to not fall asleep from sheer relaxation, just so that her fear wouldn't have been realized.

"Way to go, Chiaki!" cheered Makoto after seeing that with the help of her teacher, she overcame one of her fears. It was something all of them needed after what happened in the morning.

Their time was up, as they left the swimming pool, putting their daily clothes back on themselves. All of them were funky fresh and feeling quite relaxed. They returned near the entrance of the school, thinking that others were waiting for them.

"So, how was it?" asked Chisa with a smile on her face.

"Have to admit, it was pretty fun!" beamed Makoto.

"Yep, it was. It wasn't scary as I thought. Thank you, Miss Yukizome." thanked Chiaki with her radiant smile.

"Awwww, I was just doing my duty as a teacher. Come here, you two!" Chisa hugged both of them at the same time. Makoto was startled for a bit, but embraced the hug while Chiaki hugged her back even more so. She also wrapped Makoto around with her arm, making him join the hug. She loved every moment of it. Then, Chisa looked through the window and saw Hajime and Chihiro sitting on the same bench Chiaki sat on before, looking around to see if their friend was around. Ibuki accompanied them, searching her gamer friend as if she was a lost kitten.

"I think your friends are waiting for you. You should join them up for now." noted Chisa, pointing at her group of friends. Chiaki brought Makoto with her as they departed for a brief moment. Chiaki's teacher waved at them as she went her own way.

"Good nomnomnomnommorning, early birdies! You two look quite fresh today!" greeted Ibuki as she ran towards Chiaki and Makoto after they have stepped outside.

"Huh, that's a surprise. Usually, you're here first." commented Hajime as his and Chihiro's attention turned towards the fresh looking duo. "Anyway, good to see you, Chiaki and Makoto."

"Miss Yukizome just needed us for something." said Chiaki before she and the other ahoge boy sat on the bench, joining the group. They spent rest of their time before start of classes together, just having fun. Chisa observed them from the inside, having nearly teary eyes from happiness.

"Ah, it's so relieving seeing them in good mood. I think I did pretty well…though I have to keep our fun times a secret, or else there's gonna be a scandal!...Probably..." thought Chisa to herself, swinging from being satisfied with how she cheered them up and how would everyone else feel if their secret leaked out.

The classes started and everything went normal for everyone. It seemed like Herman kept his word regarding finishing it for that day. Only one oddity was Chiaki falling into deep slumber during the class. No matter what anyone attempted, nothing awoke her. Some were very perplexed about her habit of falling asleep, but Chisa understood it. She thought she needed some rest after what happened to her in the morning.

Time for break arrived as everyone from both classes went towards the dining room. On their way, Makoto ran towards Chiaki to ask her about something.

"Hey, Chiaki?" piqued Makoto.

"Hm?" Chiaki turned towards him, curious about what was he going to say.

"There's something I wanna do about Herman, but I don't know what to do. I can't just let him make everyone in school upset over and over." confessed Makoto to her.

"Ah, I know who you need to turn to." Chiaki raised her finger, knowing what to do.

"Wait, really?" sputtered Makoto as his curiosity rose from hearing Chiaki's words.

"Yep...but we have to meet him after school. It's...a secret, to say at least." cautioned Chiaki, only raising more mystery to him before they went towards the dining room, looking something to eat.

True to her words, both of them waited outside for the supposed leader of the so called resistance against Herman and his mafia.

"So..erm...who is the person that I'm supposed to meet?" asked Makoto, wondering who might have been. It didn't take a while to see what was an answer to his question as the wizard man arrived with the already established members of The Fellowship of Darkness backing him up.

"Mwahahaha! It seems that destiny brought me another minion!" laughed Gundham as he crossed his arms.

"...Gundham?" blurted Makoto as he expected him to be the last person to be considered a reliable center of information regarding Daft Capo.

"Eyup, him. One piece of advice and I know it's gonna sound ridiculous, but you gotta believe everything he says." advised Hajime, making sure that Makoto doesn't experience the same crisis he and Fuyuhiko did the day earlier.

"And make sure you are sober." added Fuyuhiko, sharing his sentiment with Hajime while expressing some of his anti alcoholic stance.

"Uh...okay?" bleated Makoto before Gundham lead them through the path they took before, filled with roots and bushes. No change of plan was done in terms of the path towards the meeting.

Meanwhile in the crusty garage, the penguins were putting four jars on the table. One of them was labeled "Freak out", other one "Is actually pretty happy about it", the third one "Something else" and the last one simply titled "Fish". The only currencies the penguin accepted were dollars and after the great discourse with Kowalski earlier that day, euros as well.

"Alright, boys. Pick your betting jars." ordered Skipper

"According to the calculations, it is quite unlikely that an average student would have seen four penguins plotting against a mafia in their lives, so my decision shall be "Freak Out" jar." Kowalski explained his choice after doing some calculations with his personal abacus.

"Average, hah! There are three kind of students here: weirdos, baby faces and folk that deserve to be put on a trial in Hague!" joked Skipper, referring to how most of the students were rather unorthodox, so to say.

"I'll pick the "Is actually pretty happy about it" jar. Sounds the nicest, at least." said Private.

"Yes, of course you would take that one, Private." sassed Skipper.

"Is there something wrong with it?" sincerely asked Private, unsure to what made Skipper feel that way. He failed to interpret that Skipper wasn't really making fun of him, rather than that was just something so predictable, it deserved a sass.

"Private, my boy, there are certain things in life that are unpredictable. This is not one of them." elaborated Skipper before he turned towards the remaining penguin. "What about you, Rico?"

"Fish." simply, yet boldly stated Rico.

"...Alright then. I'll pick the remaining one." Skipper chose the remaining jar before the doors of garage opened as their leader, Gundham Tanaka, stood proudly and boldly with crossed arms.

"Look who we got here! It's our boys and girls!" chuckled Skipper at the sight of underlings of The Fellowship of Darkness.

"Fuwahahaha, I have good news, Avians of the Faraway Blizzard! We have another one!" boastfully announced Gundham as his gang stepped inside, occupying chairs around the round table.

"Another one? Lets see who we got today on the menu, boys!" wondered Skipper, taking a closer look at the potential new members.

And thus Makoto Naegi was in for something that every member of The Fellowship of Darkness had to experience first hand.

"Wha-WHAT?! Penguins?!" panicked Makoto, but not to the point of having a crisis like a certain other ahoge boy and yakuza boy had.

"Yep, penguins." sighed Hajime, knowing the exact feeling his fellow ahoge boy was going through.

"Just saying, everything happening in front of your eyes is real." added Fuyuhiko while still trying to grasp the situation they were in. Even after the day earlier, nothing felt sensible to him.

"The bet is mine!" exclaimed Kowalski with pride as he clenched his flipper to resemble a fist. Other penguins started throwing dollars inside Kowalski's jar. No one had euros, though.

"Hey, what'cha betting on, penguin boys?" wondered Ibuki, pointing at the jars.

"Oh, not much really. It's just for fun, so to say." clarified Skipper that it wasn't anything vital to their mission.

"Just to clarify something, me and Chihiro are from Class 78, so...yeah." reminded Makoto because Chihiro was too meek to do it the day earlier.

"Another class?" Skipper was taken by a surprise before an immense feeling of satisfaction sprung inside of him. "Nice! More recruits on our way! Though, Kowalski, what would be an estimate of increased number?"

"Should have been sixteen, but oddly enough, two of them are constantly missing, so fourteen instead." said Kowalski. Both Makoto and Chihiro wondered where exactly were their two missing classmates. Students of Class 77-B also thought that two people were constantly missing.

"So...um….what are we gonna do here?" asked Makoto, trying to initiate a discussion with them.

"Well, Ahoge Boy Mark II, consider yourself lucky because today, we are gonna get a package for our operation against Herman!" announced Skipper as he felt excited to carry out briefing for the incoming operation.

"Wait, you guys already planned it out?" piqued Hajime, feeling that it was something they either forgot or emitted mentioning it the day earlier.

"Of course! Our minds have brainstormed such plan long before!" clarified Gundham in his own way.

"It's just one part of the operation. First, we have to track him down in order to do anything." elaborated Peko for those not used to wizard terminology.

"And then we beat him up and throw him outta here!" added Skipper, feeling pumped to beat some Daft Capo goons any time.

"Hold on, he's a part of the mafia, right? Wouldn't that mean he would just send their men after us if we beat him up?" cautioned Makoto after considering all the warnings he heard about crime syndicates.

"For sure he would." Hajime basically gave out an answer before penguins could even properly answer. He thought it was common sense that a crime syndicate would send out their hitmen if anyone messed with their plans.

"Don't worry about it, we'll handle the punching bags that go by the term henchmen!" boastfully reassured Skipper, smacking his flippers as if he was initiating a fight.

"Even Fritz?" Chiaki's reminder made Skipper's rational mind overtake his ego, bringing him down to earth once again.

"...Well, they always send it the elite when they're desperate, so...here's that. If any of you guys see him, report him to us ASAP." Skipper

"Fritz? Who's that?" asked Makoto before Skipper gave him the image of him that his fellow members have already seen.

"Kowalski, what's the ETA for package delivery?" questioned Skipper, turning towards his tall colleague.

"It should have been-" said Kowalski before he was interrupted by something flicking Makoto's ahoge as if it were a toy.

"No, not again!" Makoto got some flashbacks from the morning by a mere flick. He covered his head with his hands, preparing himself if that octopus struck once again.

"Wait, what is going on-" questioned Hajime before his ahoge got flicked, possibly by the same force that flicked Makoto's ahoge.

"Demon behind you!" warned Gundham as he pointed behind Hajime, making him turn back. But was it truly a demon behind him? It was...

"Nya~."

"What the-how did you appear from there?!" shuddered Hajime, standing up from the chair out of a reflex when he saw the one and only, looking at him with the most mischievous look a human could have: Faris Nyannyan.

"A cat always finds a way to strike from the shadows, nya!" quipped Faris as she emerged from darkness. Majority of the Fellowship of Darkness, bar those who have already been to her cafe, were absolutely bewildered by her. However, Nekomaru had quite a laugh after witnessing her shenanigans.

"Yooo, it's my girl!" cheered Ibuki at the sight of a fellow cat enthusiast.

"Boys and girls, as the Tiny One correctly said so, we have a no-longer secret agent among our ranks, who goes by the name of Feline Fatale, but also goes…" Skipper attempted to introduce them to his agent, but "Please, someone say her name instead of me or else I am going to get a stroke!"

"Faris Nyannyan!" shouted Ibuki in excitement, basically doing Skipper's job instead of him.

"Arrrgh!" cringed Skipper as he nearly fell on the floor from the sheer power of his wince. With the exception of Private, other penguins knew his suffering regarding the nyan.

"Is this what you meant when you said we are going to meet this Tuesday?" sincerely asked Chihiro after remembering what the cat girl said before they departed.

"Yep yep, nya! Faris knew that you guys would join, so I decided to pay you a little visit." confirmed Faris, sporting a cat smile.

"Why...didn't you use the garage doors?" asked Hajime out of bewilderment.

"Wanted to keep a surprise, nya!" elaborated Faris, baffling them even further.

"So, you are the one that goes by name of Nyannyan…Kehehehe, your abilities are quite intriguing, but you are still no match for The Supreme Overlord!" said Gundham to her as if he was challenging her.

"Supreme Overlords kneel before the power of Nyannyan, nya!" provoked Faris, spicing up the duel between two chuunibyous.

"Oh, is that so? Then prove yourself, Feline Fatale, for I shall give you a duel that you will remember for ages!" boasted Gundham as he raised his triumphant fist, but little did he know what was he up against.

"Nya!" Faris threw herself towards Gundham, landing on the floor, but she captured her prey: his scarf. Once she got his scarf under her "paws", she started toying around with it like a cat would do to a ball of yarn. She even nibbled it for her own amusement.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH, HELP ME, LORDS FROM ABOVE! GET THIS DEMON OFF OF MY CLOTHING OF DESOLATION!" screamed Gundham in fear as he stood up on the chair to gain the higher ground, but his words failed to prevent her from toying with it. Everyone around them was absolutely bamboozled by the sight of their "duel", but most of them were rendered speechless. Penguins had to step in to bring back order in the fellowship.

"Rico, spray!" ordered Skipper as Rico grabbed the nearest spray bottle with water and dived down towards the scene. A mere sight of the spray bottle caused Makoto and Chiaki to flinch due them being reminded of a certain event. Rico then sprayed Faris with water, causing her to cease with her attacks.

"Nyaaaa!" yelped Faris before she went back at being behind Hajime's back. "Alas, our duel was a close one, but you were spared by the Contractors."

"I-I was only at just low percentage of my true power! If I had Four Dark Devas of Destruction with me today, you would have been destroyed!" Gundham attempted to threaten her for a future duel, but he was simply no match for the Nyannyan.

"God, that bottle gives me some severely negative connotations." shuddered Makoto.

"Same…" agreed Chiaki, almost being ready to cover her face with her hood.

"After this...display of nonsense, what did you bring here, Faris?" Hajime, after he stopped covering his eyes with his hand from sheer bewilderment, pointed at the box that Faris put on the floor.

"Oh, Faris has something for all of you, nya!" said Faris before putting the box on the "Tadaaa, here it is!"

"What's that?" asked Makoto as the maid cat girl opened up the box, revealing a lot of small wireless earbud look-a-like contraptions inside of it.

"Future Gadget 10, nya!" announced Faris, spreading her arms to dramatize the announcement even more.

"Or to be more precise, Portable Echo Locator Network. It was made with collaboration with classified participants and it will serves us in our anti Herman operations." further explained Kowalski.

"Hououin Kyouma?" wondered Chiaki, reading between their lines. However, she didn't say the name of the mad scientist out loud, possibly due how Skipper reacted when Chihiro mentioned Faris the day earlier.

"It shall be placed everywhere in school to record sounds of Herman navigating through school. Of course, we would also need a program to not only to digitize recorded sounds, but also be able to separate unwanted ones from desired ones." continued Kowalski.

"I think we have a right person for that." smiled Chiaki before gently tapping Chihiro's back.

"I can help you guys if you want to. It's the least I could do." Chihiro offered his assistance.

"Brilliant! It would be invaluable service to us. Anyway, after we set up the network of locators, we the penguins will connect them and then begin tracking." welcomed Kowalski with open arms, much to Chihiro's surprise.

"It would be an official start of Operation Track & Whack!" declared Skipper, feeling even more pumped up than before.

"They're gonna be set _everywhere_, right?" questioned Hajime, putting emphasis on the contraption being placed around every single corner in their school.

"Yes." bluntly answered Skipper.

"Even-" Hajime attempted to bring up a point regarding more private areas of school, but Skipper already knew where was he going.

"Before any complaints are filed at our address, let me tell ya something: it's either this or "HAHAHAHA EYESCHLUSS HAHAHAHA" for the rest of your school life before Daft Capo fully takes over and you better tell me what's the better alternative." interjected Skipper as he countered his complaints before they were even being made.

"For love of everything in this world, stop imitating him. Every time you do it, my soul dies a little from the inside." winced Kowalski, especially taking note how he portrays Herman's accent so wrongly.

"...Yeah, former is the better one." Hajime admitted that the penguins' argument was more substantial. Besides, just like everyone else, he was pretty sick of Herman's shenanigans.

"What are we waiting for, boys and girls? Grab a bunch of them and hide them well tomorrow!" ordered Skipper as Hope's Peak gang started taking little contraptions with them.

"We have to do this." declared Chiaki after observing one part of the Future Gadget 10 (or PELN).

"If it had to be done, it had to be done." said Hajime, also dedicated towards their plan.

"Mwahahaha, I can already taste the sweet karma that shall be inflicted on that damned Kraken of the Land!" boasted Gundham, being pumped up for the day he would face Herman eye to eye.

"Aw yeah, the closer we get to KICKING HIS AAAAAASSSSSSSSSS, MORE HYYPEEEEE I FEEEEEEEL!" shouted Nekomaru in excitement, also sharing Gundham's sentiments regarding their mission.

"Me and Peko are gonna help you here, but that is as far as we go, got it?" reminded Fuyuhiko about their minimal involvement regarding anti Daft Capo operations.

"Whatever you say, Fuyuhiko! Just...do what you want and not...do….yeah." agreed Skipper, just to potentially save his skin.

"Oooh, now Ibuki has double ears! Ibuki's hearing is already pretty good, now it's gonna be advanced hearing!" bumbled Ibuki as she put two of the contraptions slightly above her ears.

"A-as long as it helps…" stuttered Chihiro, willing to defend his friends, even though he thought he wasn't strong enough to do anything.

"We are going to use the remaining ones to cover the less accessible areas." said Kowalski.

"That should be all, boys and girls! Now remember, you gotta hide them tomorrow and make sure no one, especially anyone that reeks of Daft Capo, notices." Skipper gave out his final order for that day before they departed. Hope's Peak gang, like almost every time they had a meeting, went home.

However, one cat girl maid went somewhere else, towards Hope's Peak academy instead to her own cafe.

"Tehehehe, Faris has a mission unknown to the Hope's Peak gang! Operation Star;Connect is on the way, nya!" thought Faris to herself as she went on the same path as Hope's Peak gang often arrives to the meetings. After taking a journey through bushes and roots, she arrived at the aforementioned school and went inside, met by the empty hallways with checkered pattern on the floor.

"Now, where is the teacher of Class 77-B?" wondered Faris as she explored the inside of Hope's Peak academy, looking for a certain teacher.

Meanwhile, Chisa was inside her office, still doing her job despite her time with class being over. She rested her face on top of all the papers she had to fill for that day, resembling someone sleeping inside her classroom.

"Paper work is gonna be my graaaaaaaveeeee…." mumbled Chisa before she was suddenly awakened by knocks on the door.

"I-I'm filling! I'm filling, I'm doing my job as a teacher!" yelped Chisa as she started filling out papers as fast as she could.

"Open up, nya." spoke out Faris, stopping Chisa from doing her work. It startled her because Faris' voice resembled nothing from either her fellow teachers or dreaded higher ups.

"Huh? Who could that be?" wondered Chisa as she stood up and opened the doors, revealing the one with the nyan.

"Faris Nyannyan has come, nya!" greeted Faris as she struck another cat-like gesture.

"Dawwww, you are cuuuuute. What brings you here, cutie?" chirped Chisa as she leaned towards her in curiosity.

"Are you perhaps the teacher of Class 77-B, nya?" asked Faris with a mischievous cat smile on her face.

"Yes yes yes! I am the teacher of that wonderful little class!" happily nodded Chisa, reminiscing all the fun times she had with her class. The maid cat girl stepped inside as the teacher returned to her seat, prepared to discuss anything that the cat girl wanted.

"Okie dokie, nya! Faris means to ask...is your class free during this week?" piqued Faris.

"Well...not tomorrow, unfortunately, but we can settle for Thursday or Friday!" answered Chisa, offering a free spot for aforementioned two days.

"Good good! As long as it is for any day during this week. Faris thought about planning a visit!" revealed Faris

"A visit? Are you gonna visit?" asked Chisa. She would have allowed Faris to visit Hope's Peak at any time.

"Nope, not me, nya." denied Faris, slightly surprising the teacher in the process.

"Any of your friends, perhaps?" further asked Chisa as she scratched her chin.

"Eyup eyup, but are you prepared to hear who it is going to be?" nodded Faris before leaning towards her with a determined look on her cat face.

"I am always ready!" giggled Chisa, only for Faris to whisper a name of someone. It was the last person she expected to hear.

"….N-no way! Even for Hope's Peak, she's...she's too high caliber!" stammered Chisa at the thought of that person even visiting Hope's Peak and the aforementioned institution was already considered to be one of the most prestigious in the whole Japan.

"I know exactly how to get her here, nya! Here's her phone number. You can call her straight away, nya!" persuaded Faris as she gave her cat branded phone to her with that person's number on it.

"Should I? I'm just a teacher, I'm nothing like her..." Chisa grabbed Faris' phone with her shaky hand.

"She wouldn't mind at all, nya! Faris thinks she would love being here!" reassured Faris, considering that she personally knew her. "Go ahead, nya! Make the call and fulfill the destiny!"

"...Okay! I'm gonna try it! It's better to do than to not to, right?" gulped Chisa before pressing the call button. The phone rang for a bit before the call was picked on the other side.

"Hello?"


	11. Operation Track & Whack I: Phase Track

Operation: Track & Whack (Phase: Track)

Location: Hope's Peak academy, allegedly Tokyo, Japan

Time: 7:00 AM

Date: Wednesday, [REDACTED]

* * *

The sun started peeking through the clouds as the sun rays pierced through them. No longer were the clouds dark gray, but rather a much lighter shade than before. For most students of Hope's Peak academy, it seemed like an average day, but for members of The Fellowship of Darkness, it was an important day, A day to set up the foundations of executing the plan of kicking Herman's cephalopod rear.

When all other students, including those from Class 77-B and Class 78th, went inside the school, Gundham Tanaka and Ibuki Mioda rolled out of the seamless bush like two top secret agents before stopping right in front of the entrance. Upon arriving to it, they stood up, looking at their school with determination.

"Mwahahaha! Today marks the beginning of future without Kraken of the Land's interference!" gloated Gundham as he crossed his arms like a true dark wizard. He, along with his musician colleague, held some of the "Portable Echo Locator Network" earbud look-a-like contraptions in his hand.

"Woohoo! After we will be done with Herman, all Ibukies across the world will be safe and not canned!" cheered Ibuki, hopping in one place as she will be known as savior of all of her kind across the Earth, but only to herself. Even though so far, there's only one Ibuki Mioda on it.

"Now listen up, Horned Songstress! Place those artificial works of a man and avian around our temple of graduation!" ordered Gundham, pointing at the supposed locations of Future Gadget 10's

"Okie dokie, my dark master Supreme Overlord!" bowed down Ibuki before she rushed towards the ordered location, digging tiny holes around the school to plant those gadgets.

"Now come, Four Dark Devas of Destruction!" called out Gundham for his beloved pets, to which they responded to his call almost immediately by jumping out of his jacket. Four hamsters then placed themselves on Gundham's palm, awaiting his command.

"Place those thingies around the school, so we can track out Kraken of the Land." Gundham spoke in a much softer, caring tone towards them as he gave his hamsters all of Future Gadget 10s he had withi himself. After taking all of those contraptions, Four Dark Devas of Destruction ran across the surrounding area, placing them on the trees in case Herman had an itch for arboreal action for future days. Even in the seamless bush, Future Gadget 10s were placed, just in case.

After both four fluffy "demons" and one musician gal that had her head in clouds had finished placing all Future Gadget 10s around the school, they returned to their Supreme Overlord, who was just waiting for them to complete their task. However, Ibuki still had one Future Gadget 10 in her hand.

"Ibuki's got an idea!" exclaimed Ibuki, pointing a finger in the air as if an imaginary light bulb appeared above her head before she placed that thingamabob conceived by sentient penguins and alleged mad scientists inside one of her horns. "Tadaaaa!"

"Hmmm….so you have opted to have a third ear?" wondered Gundham at her decision, unsure if it was a clever one or a questionable one.

"Correct-a-mundo! Now Future Gadget 10's could become truly portable, carried by Ibuki herself!" Ibuki explained herself while twirling around like a ballerina, but the Supreme Overlord still needed some time to truly evaluate her decision.

"Hmmm...perhaps we could use that to our advantage, but only fate shall tell us." said Gundham before both of them went for their class, officially starting their day as the students of Hope's Peak academy rather than the members of The Fellowship of Darkness.

As the day went on without any sort of oddities happening in between, the ever energetic teacher of Class 77-B, who went by the name Chisa Yukizome, set out to plant a bunch of flowers, just like she did previous week. Mikan Tsumiki, the trembling nurse, accompanied her, but she was not the only one. Chiaki Nanami and Peko Pekoyama also joined them for some flower planting session.

"I'm so glad you have joined, girls!" bubbled Chisa while carrying an open box that was full of various kinds of colorful flowers. Girls followed her behind, with Peko acting as some kind of bodyguard for them, in case of an attack from a certain cephalopod.

"Amid those times, it's pretty neat engaging into something relaxing like that." admitted Peko, knowing too well from her experiences in Kuzuryuu clan. Even hardened folk need some time to relax.

"Well, I have never planted flowers before. It could be fun first time experiencing something like that." admitted Chiaki, being a curious girl she was. Her experience in the pool sort of convinced her to try out more new stuff, since it allowed her to create memories to cherish. Part of the reason why she wanted to go was also because to hang out with Chisa.

"And that's why you have Miss Yukizome to teach you!" cheerfully boasted Chisa as they went on. After going through the entrance, the girls walked towards a rather special spot outside of the academy: Chisa Yukizome's tiny flower garden. The radius of a flower filled circle was about the same as a slightly large round cake, with all kinds of various flowers occupying that small space. Upon arriving to it, Chisa put down the box near the "garden" as all of them sat down on the grass.

"I-It's nice seeing you around, Chiaki. How come that you have decided to come here, if I can ask?" asked Mikan. Despite being the same old trembling nurse she was, she felt a bit more relaxed around Chiaki and Chisa's presence. At the very least she knew that those two were always going to be pleasant to be around.

Well, I just wanted to-achoo!" Chiaki wanted to say hear reasoning, but she was soon interrupted by a sudden sneeze. It sounded like a squeaky mouse toy being squished. A tiny bit of snot came out of her nose.

"Bless you!" blessed Chisa after the squeaky sneeze happened.

"D-do you need this? Do you have pollinosis?"" stammered Mikan before she pulled out a tissue from her pockets and cleaned up the snot from Chiaki's nose.

"Not really...I think. Just that yesterday has been...a really cold day." said Chiaki while remembering the coldness of fountain's water after that incident. Mikan's question gave her a bit of wondering if she had any allergies in the first place, considering that before Hope's Peak, she very rarely left her home.

"Yeah, it's been too cold for our poor little Nanami…" Chisa patted her gamer student on her head, causing her to blush. However, judging from how she put up her fists in a similar fashion as if she was about to gush about video games again, she seemed to really like it deep down, despite the slight embarrassment.

"Achoo!" sneezed Chiaki once again, that time with a lot of snot coming right out of her nose. That time, her sneeze resembled an actual sneeze. Mikan cleaned her nose to the point it was completely clean before they started planting flowers all together. By taking plants from their pots, they placed them in a circle, expanding it even more. During their time, Chisa showed Chiaki the procedure of planting a flower. After her teacher's demonstration, Chiaki then planted a flower by herself. It wasn't exactly perfect, but she was getting a hang of it.

"These flowers are so pretty!" smiled Mikan at how luscious flowers were under sun rays that peeked through out tearing clouds.

"I have chosen all flowers I thought would fit you guys. Even Class 78th guys are gonna get a fair share too!" cheerfully explained Chisa as all of them continued their work.

"Awww, that's so nice, Miss Yukizome." smiled Mikan while making a rather welcoming gesture with her fingers. Suddenly, a bee flew right above them before it landed right on Chiaki's nose, crawling on it like it was some kind of flower.

"A-aaah! There's a bee on your nose, Chiaki!" Mikan pointed directly at Chiaki's nose, who hasn't even noticed anything by herself before. The nurse worried that the bee could have stung Nanami's nose. Once pointed out, Chiaki looked at the bee, being slightly surprised, but the bee just chilled on her nose like it was nothing. When she observed the bee, she looked cross eyed.

"Tehehe! I think the bee thinks your nose is a flower!" giggled Chisa at the sight of a cross eyed girl before both her and Mikan, once relieved that the bee posed no danger to Nanami, returned back to planting flowers.

"For insects, bees are pretty fluffy." commented Peko before she returned to work. Meanwhile, Chiaki crawled to the nearest flower and lowered herself down to it, allowing the bee to reach it. The fluffy insect flew off her nose and went for the flower instead, doing the exact things a bee was supposed to do. Chiaki got lost herself in curiously observing the bee, but was soon brought back to reality once Peko tapped her shoulder. The curious gamer girl looked at the swordswoman with glasses, who gave her a sign to do her mission with a simple gesture of just holding one of the Future Gadget 10s in her hand. Chiaki nodded as a determined look appeared on her face before both of them started placing earbud-like contraptions around the approximate closeness of Chisa's flower garden. They tried to hide it from Chisa and Mikan while they were busy with planting flowers, but they were spotted from a distance by Kyoko Kirigiri, who just happened to pass by near the flower garden. Although there were no overt reactions from her, she squinted at them, suspecting them due to their covert activities.

Meanwhile, the gang of three boys, consisting of Hajime Hinata, Makoto Naegi and Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, walked through out empty hallways of the second floor of Hope's Peak academy. They used their break in order to carry out their mission to place Future Gadget 10s all over the school. First floor already had the network of Future Gadget 10s set up.

"Alright so, most of Herman's attacks happened in the halls, right?" asked Hajime for confirmation regarding incidents involving their classmates being bamboozled and humiliated by a certain walking octopus. He already had assumptions when he took considerations about patterns of Herman's appearances.

"Yeah, I believe so. If I remember well, only exceptions were his attack on Chiaki, which happened outside and his attack on Teruteru, which happened inside kitchen." confirmed Makoto, reluctantly mentioning their encounter with him.

"_Wait, he attacked Nanami?!_" a mere idea of his close friend being absolutely humiliated by their enemy set Hajime off in shock.

"...Yeah…along with me as well." ashamedly nodded Makoto.

"That bastard, I swear to god! If only I knew he was there…" Hajime clenched his fist in anger before his own insecurities started kicking in. If he had been there before, he could have prevented Herman from attacking Chiaki and Makoto, he thought. Perhaps, if he had something he lacked, he could have made a change.

"Don't worry too much about it, I'm pretty sure next time we have an encounter with him, we will defeat him." reassured Makoto, somehow remaining optimistic in such situation. However, his words managed to ease off Hajime's mind, preventing his insecurities from taking over.

"There is no other way than that we have to. I'm definitely gonna make sure of it." declared Hajime, being completely dedicated to stopping that octopus and his syndicate from constantly harassing them frequently.

"There's one factor that I'm very concerned about though." reminded Fuyuhiko about something that just refused to leave his mind.

"That if we defeat Herman, we're gonna be on the bounty list?" Hajime already knew what his Yakuza classmate was about to address, considering how much has he been warning everyone about.

"Yeah, exactly. I don't wanna sound like a broken record, but we should not lose our guard." cautioned Fuyuhiko as all of them were placing those gadgets in hidden spots of halls.

"It's never bad to be too cautious." agreed Hajime while making sure that Future Gadget 10s were hidden well, so that Herman or any other invader would not spot them.

"Well, to be fair, I don't think we're gonna interfere with their business elsewhere. We just have to defend our school from them." reassured Makoto, hoping that there wouldn't be a situation where students of Hope's Peak academy had to step in right into Daft Capo's turf, wherever it was.

"Other activities are gonna be covered by them, I guess. Speaking of them, have you two found those penguins to be shady as shit?" asked Fuyuhiko, wondering if two ahoge boys shared the same sentiment as him.

"Not...really." Makoto shook his head.

"Oh, absolutely. The fact that they withheld information from us already set off some red flags." blurted out Hajime without any sort of hesitation whatsoever, remembering how penguins kept their adventures in Denmark a secret until he had to persuade them through verbal force. Both Hajime and Fuyuhiko thought about the potential of their classmates and Makoto's classmates being just pawns in a chess game played by those penguins and Daft Capo. Not a thought they were pleased with.

"I agree with you, Hajime. It all feels so contrived, their presence and such. I do wonder what is their reason for their opposition against Daft Capo." piqued Fuyuhiko due to fact they haven't asked them about their previous misadventures, even those that happened before penguins' encounter with the accursed mafia.

"Maybe because...it's the right thing to do?" even in the shadiest possible people (or in that case, birds), Makoto saw some level of genuine justice and integrity within them.

"That's bullshit, no one involved in the world of gangsters thinks like that. It's always an ulterior motive behind their facades." quickly countered Fuyuhiko, speaking from his experiences as an Yakuza member. "And even if they remain genuine to their goal, their methods speak otherwise."

Makoto remained quiet, trusting Fuyuhiko enough that he believed every single word that came out of his mouth. Despite that, he thought there was some evidence that penguins' cause against Daft Capo was sincere.

"To be honest, our "alliance" with them feels like out of necessity. They're still the only guys that have some info regarding Daft Capo." Hajime brought up a point that despite everything, they were still the only guys that had info on that mafia. In fact, it's thanks to them they even know of their existence, otherwise they would just think that they were dealing with one measly annoying cephalopod. It would have been surprising for them for sure if a bunch of men in white tuxedos broke in school and attacked them, had they defeated that octopus all by themselves while lacking any pinch of knowledge about Daft Capo.

"It's best to keep it that way. Who knows what will happen in our future endeavors." warned Fuyuhiko, thinking that keeping a distance would be their optimal choice.

"We shouldn't be worried so much. For now, lets focus on deterring Daft Capo from our school." reassured Makoto, trying to calm them down regarding the situation. It seemed to work for both of them, as they stopped thinking about hypothetical scenarios and focused on the present instead.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea." agreed Hajime before they continued their work.

"Alright then. Keep the eyes on present, I guess." sighed Fuyuhiko, going along the flow. As they went on, Makoto himself encountered one obstacle: wardrobe in the hall was too high for him to put the Future Gadget 10 on the top.

"Hey, can anyone help me, please?" asked Makoto for help, since he was just that short. Obviously, Fuyuhiko couldn't have helped in the first place, since he was even shorter than the (un)lucky ahoge boy.

"Sure, I've got you covered." Hajime stepped in with no hesitation. After Makoto gave him the gadget, he placed it on the top with relative ease. Makoto thanked him for his help before they continued their journey through the school to place all those Future Gadget 10s in order to complete their operations.

As the time for break passed, most of students occupying the dining hall went to their respective classes. However, Nekomaru had to go alone to the gym, since he had one task: as the Ultimate Team Manager, he had to take care of his team during a practice basketball match.

The match itself was quite even. Both teams were in a tie during the last quarter of the practice game with only few minutes away from the whole session ending. Nekomaru intensely observed the flow of the game with players fighting over one single ball in order to score the decisive point. Suddenly, one of the players on Nekomaru's team managed to get the ball, dribble it all across the field and then throw it right into the ring, scoring the decisive point in the process. It was a score that warranted one huge "YEAAAAAAAH!", especially since it happened seconds before the game ended.

And thus the game ended, with Nekomaru's team emerging victorious. All of the players of his team gathered around him, eagerly awaiting his feedback.

"Good work, team! You showed the other team who's the real BOSS!" boastfully praised Nekomaru as he gave every single player in his team a high five. All of the players, the ones victorious being cheerful while the other side that lost, taking defeat as a lesson to be learned from, to their classes after some time. After the gym got free of people bar the Ultimate Team Manager, he knew that it was a perfect opportunity to execute his part in Operation Track & Whack.

"Aw yeah, now it's time!" smirked Nekomaru before he started placing Future Gadget 10s he had with himself all across the hidden spots in the gym, but he didn't stop right there. Nekomaru, while still having some of Future Gadget 10s with him, decided to cover the areas surrounding the gym as well. The first are he covered was the hall, placing the contraptions around just like other members of The Fellowship of Darkness. Then, after seeing toilets, reminding him the first time he has ever met penguins, got an idea to place those things there as well. His reasoning behind that decision was that Herman could have potentially sneaked through the toilets, utilizing water in them to gain boost in mobility.

After placing them in men's bathroom (he refused to go to girl's bathroom because that would just be rude and awkward), he got struck with one thought.

"Hold on a minute...we have figured out how to track him down, but how exactly are we gonna fight him, hand to hand? Hmmm..." contemplated Nekomaru regarding how will they tackle him in the future. "Knowing that all of his attacks have been ambushes on just individuals or tiny groups, it wouldn't be smart facing him alone."

He spent some time lost in planning for the future offenses. The clock was ticking, since the day of their potential fight could be right in front of the doorstep. Then, he finally got an idea, basing his plan on previous encounters with Herman.

"Hence why this calls for TEAMWORK! Also, we gotta ambush him back, yeah!" declared Nekomaru within his head after formulating a basic concept of the future counterattack before he nearly concluded his job, since he was close to running out of those contraptions.

During the Operation Track & Whack, even before the first members of Fellowship of Darkness arrived to the scene, the birds of The Fellowship of Darkness already placed their Future Gadget 10s (though Kowalski preferred to call them Portable Echo Locator Network, mostly due to his pride) in areas they called "inaccessible to students" before, such as principal's office, Yukizome's office and more. Only area they didn't cover was the basement of Hope's Peak academy, since they had no proper access to it. Penguins navigated through the air ducts, to be as "stealthy" as possible.

Suddenly, an idea appeared inside Rico's mind as they traversed through the air ducts. He spat out one of Future Gadget 10s out of his "convenience" stomach and smashed it on the walls of the air duct, causing an abrupt noise. A hole in a shape of the Future Gadget itself, allowing it to be there without the concern of falling off. However, the noise quickly caught attention of other penguins, much to their dismay.

"Rico, what kind of crazy scheme are you up fo-" grumbled Skipper before he saw Rico welding a metal plate on the wall with a miniature welding machine that he spat out, making sure that Future Gadget also stays hidden. Rico then looked at his boss, wondering what would he say about it.

"...Well, not bad. If it will work, then no complaints." admitted Skipper, quickly being impressed by Rico's impulse decision before continuing their path, setting up

Halfway on their mission, they stopped above the empty kitchen, observing it from the air ducts. After waiting a bit to see if they were truly clear, Skipper gave a sign.

"Kowalski, Private! You should return to our hideout, I think there's gonna be a meeting soon. Me and Rico are gonna take care setting up the network." ordered Skipper as he pointed at the tile, which acted as an entrance to their penguin exclusive base.

"Wilco." nodded Kowalski before he and Private jumped out of the air duct, landing on the solid floor of the kitchen. Since the tile was unlocked, they opened it with ease and jumped inside, sliding through tunnels of their base. After some time traversing through them, they popped out of the seamless bush, where one of tunnels lead to. Then, they went through the path of roots and bushes before arriving to their crusty garage, which was also known as their hideout that could also store Hope's Peak students inside. Since Kowalski had a remote for the door, he opened it by a press of a button and both penguins entered it. Later on, he closed the door, just in case to prevent anyone unwelcome inside.

With them being only ones occupying the garage, Kowalski opened up his laptop as Private stood behind him, watching him browse through his files. His desktop was rather empty, only filled with basic applications and few folders, most notable ones being titled "Scientific research", "OSINT" and "Classified government files." Stuff that penguins usually had.

Suddenly, few rather barely audible knocks on the door were heard, signifying that a meeting has begun. Kowalski looked at the door and opened it with his remote, revealing a very feminine boy dressed in a brown skirt and a green jacket. He also had his own laptop with him.

"O-oh, hello there. I hope I'm not much of a bother." Chihiro meekly waved at them while he waited outside in order to get permission from them.

"Not at all, The Tiny One, step right in." Kowalski welcomed him, allowing him to step inside without a worry.

"What's your actual name though? So far, we have only referred each other to Skipper's nicknames." asked Private, wanting to know true names of their human co-workers.

"I'm Chihiro Fujisaki." the programmer student properly introduced himself to them.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Private and this is Kowalski!" greeted Private before he also introduced

"So, Fujisaki, what's the status report?" asked Kowalski, desiring to know whether or not they have finished their job.

"Well...I think my classmates and students of Class 77-B have finished setting up the network." reported Chihiro while also confirming that he himself has already carried out one of his tasks.

"And what's the current progress on your program?" further asked Kowalski.

"...It's done. I'm sorry if I'm late." suddenly revealed Chihiro before he apologized because he thought he wasn't fast enough in terms of being on schedule. However, instead of being scolded by penguins, the tall penguin was absolutely bewildered at the fact he has already done it.

"Done already?! _Show._" demanded Kowalski in order to obtain proof about Chihiro's claims. The programmer boy then opened up his laptop and turned it on, revealing his own desktop to them. Compared to Kowalski's much more humble yet barren desktop, Chihiro's was filled with various applications, such as an executable with a microchip icon, which stored his Takashi AI. He worked on it before putting it on hiatus due to penguins demand. Another noticeable file on his desktop was a folder titled "Secret", which stored something only he knew. After navigating through his desktop with a mouse, he clicked on an earbud shaped icon titled "PELN", booting it up to reveal the very program penguins wanted. The moment it booted up, it showed white outlines of Hope's peak academy's floor plan, which stood out of the gradient blue background. Beneath the floor plan was a gray tab, which had some buttons on it. Adjustments to Future Gadget 10s sensitivities and ranges could be made, but at that moment it was offline, meaning that they couldn't do much about it. Kowalski observed the program with intrigue, wondering how could he made such a professional looking program in such short interval. However, it was unclear to him what the exact times were.

"When...have you started working on it?" Kowalski asked his first question like he had a Q&A session with the programmer boy.

"Immediately after the meeting, when I arrived at home." answered Chihiro. It was impressive to Kowalski that Chihiro wasted no time regarding their mission.

"And when have you finished it?" further asked Kowalski.

"This morning." Chihiro

"Do you perhaps remember the exact time when the program was done?" Kowalski

"Uhh...I think it was around 5:30." Chihiro thought about it for some time before remembering it.

"Have you taken a break during it? It sounds like you have worked through out the entire night." questioned Private because it worried him that Chihiro overworked himself for the job.

"Y-yeah, I went to sleep. One hour late, so I could work on it as much as possible." reassured Chihiro in a stutter. Usually, he was pretty obedient regarding his own schedules, but that time he made a slight exception.

"Not a single bug in the code...all is working flawlessly. You have managed to make a perfectly running program…" commented Kowalski before he turned his attention towards Chihiro, feeling all kinds of surprises within self. "...in nine and half hours?!"

"Y-yeah? I've had to postpone some of my personal projects, I hope it's worth it." stammered Chihiro, worrying at the reaction he could get. He wasn't exactly sure what Kowalski was feeling at that moment. Much to his surprise...

"You are a mad genius! You should have been enrolled to Harvard instead!" praised Kowalski, completely catching Chihiro off guard with his compliments. It was the last thing he expected, considering how stern and strict penguins appeared regarding their mission.

"Harvard? Well, I've been considered there, along with MIT." after the initial shock passed, Chihiro further revealed that Hope's Peak was far from the only place where he could

"What made you choose this institution instead? The opportunities in Harvard and MIT seemed much greater!" questioned Kowalski, wondering why he hasn't picked two institutions Kowalski had much more respect for. It took a while to get a response out of the programmer boy, mostly because he was too embarrassed to admit it.

"...I just didn't want to make my parents worry, that is all." quietly confessed Chihiro, almost crying in front of them. He worried that penguins would think differently

"There is no shame in that. It's good to take your parents in consideration." reassured Private, since he understood where Chihiro was coming from. It successfully made Chihiro calm down as he lost reasons to worry about it.

"Sentimentality can stand in the name of progress…" although Kowalski didn't exactly take potshots at Chihiro, he openly disagreed with his sentiment, considering his tendencies involving science. "...but that still doesn't change that you are from now on Master of Code! I'll tell Skipper to change the nickname."

"Master of Code? While I do really like programming, I don't think I deserve such a big title like that." denied Chihiro, considering that he never felt like he deserved it, but he swiftly changed the topic to something he wanted to bring up. "Oh, guys, can I mention a feature I added to the program?"

"Tell us! Tell us everything!" crowed Kowalski, absolutely wanting to hear what Chihiro had to say about it.

"What I've basically added in the program is IFF. It will recognize the source of sounds. Future Gadget 10s will be shown as white squares on it, with their radius displayed by a white outline of a circle. If the source of sounds is one of the students or just you guys, a green circle will appear on the screen. However, if the source turns out to be Herman, a red triangle will appear instead. After identifying it, the program will track down everyone. I think it would be helpful to our mission to defeat Daft Capo...I hope." explained Chihiro some of the functions he added to the program. It did cause some wondering where exactly he got that idea from though.

"Marvelous! Genius! How come that we haven't requested that in the first place?!" gushed Kowalski while thinking how should he think more in advance.

"Heh, glad you guys like it." smiled Chihiro, just being happy that he made other people pleased. Joy of others was something he secretly wanted to bring, with his desire further escalating when he met a certain gamer girl.

"Chihiro, would you mind if we transferred the program to my laptop?" asked Kowalski for permission to put his program on his laptop.

"Oh, no problem at all!" approved Chihiro before he brought up a green USB disk, putting in the port of his laptop. With a mere right click on the mouse, he clicked the option to copy. Then he switched to the folder, which had data of USB disk on it. After clicking the "paste" option, the program appeared on the USB drive almost instantly. It helped that the program itself had the size of just few megabytes. Safely ejecting the drive from his laptop, Chihiro then inserted the USB drive in Kowalski's laptop. When the folder with USB drive data appeared on Kowalski's laptop, he just dragged the program on his desktop, placing it somewhere close to the already existing folders.

"And here we go. All I need to do right now is to launch the executable…" said Kowalski before he launched the program on his laptop by himself. "...and done!"

Just like it did on Chihiro's laptop, the program launched in the same way. It displayed everything intended, as it should. Not a single error was encountered.

"Everything seems to work as it should." noted Private. Suddenly, few loud knocks were heard on the door. Kowalski, knowing who it was, opened the doors with his remote, revealing his two penguin brethren. Skipper put his his flippers around his stomach, posing a boss like pose while Rico just wondered what's gonna be for dinner.

"Alright then, all is set up!" announced Skipper before he and Rico went inside, approaching his other two penguin colleagues and the programmer boy. "Kowalski, status report!"

"We have some excellent news, Skipper! Chihiro already made us the program we needed!" reported Kowalski with pure excitement in his voice. Skipper then looked at the programmer boy, with curiosity in his eyes.

"So, you're a programmer, eh?" asked Skipper as if he were a secret agent interrogating a supervillain. Well, as much of a supervillain someone like Chihiro Fujisaki could be.

"Y-yeah?" stammered Chihiro, caught a little off guard by Skipper's tone.

"I've got one very important question for you, Master of C ode…" asked Skipper, leaning towards him while still displaying his secret agent persona before hitting him with a question that Chihiro himself did not expect.

"Windows, Mac or Linux?"

"Uh, Linux. It's easiest to program in it and pretty versatile as well." answered Chihiro as he spoke from his experience as a programmer.

"Excellent taste there, my friend! Though I should have expected that answer. It has a penguin as the mascot, so automatic bonus in my book!" complimented Skipper, but his praise seemed rather unusual to Chihiro. He felt like people's taste in things is not exactly that important compared to other qualities.

"I think we should be able to activate the network now." reminded Chihiro, so that their very first joint anti Daft Capo operation could start.

"Kowalski, press the button!" ordered Skipper, pointing at the computer.

"Affirmative." nodded Kowalski before he pressed the "Go Online" button on the tab. Just before the network went online, a window popped up, asking if he was sure to execute the command. Kowalski had no doubts in his mind and pressed "Yes". With a single click, white squares appeared all over the floor plan of the school, with each one having their own radius. Future Gadget 10s placed outside of the academy were also displayed on the screen. One of the locations was rather odd, since it appeared in the middle of Class 77-B's classroom. The white square covered a green circle in it, which was also quite odd for them.

"And it's online!"

"Aw yeah, now we're talking!" Skipper pumped his flipper like a fist.

"I'm glad everything worked out well." chuckled Chihiro after witnessing the success of his program.

"You just completely removed a lot of waiting time and workload for us, you absolute trooper! You and your fellow classmates deserve some break. Tell them that there's no meeting today, we've got everything covered! Now, take some time to chill at home." Skipper gave out an order for Chihiro. There were no additional meetings necessary for that day, since they did everything they had to for that day already.

"Yes, sir!" saluted Chihiro, shutting off his laptop and taking it with him before Kowalski opened garage doors for him, allowing him to exit.

"Smile and wave, boys, just smile and wave." said Skipper as they waved at Chihiro, who was waving at them back before he returned to his school. After he disappeared from their sight, Kowalski closed the garage doors, allowing them to conduct further tasks without any outside interference. "Now comes our part in Operation Track & Whack, but who's gonna be the one who's gonna listen to all sounds?"

"I don't think it would be a good idea to leave this job to one person. We should instead have exchanges. I think about four hours for each person would do it." suggested Kowalski, knowing that it would be quite tedious for one person to just sit behind the laptop and wait for hours in order to get some inkling of info regarding their adversary.

"That sounds kinda long. Maybe two hours would be better?" refuted Private, thinking that less time for each individual would be more optimal.

"To some extent, yes. Lets go with two hours. Perhaps four hours is too much." agreed Kowalski.

"Alright then, who's gonna be the first one." asked Skipper for the first volunteer for their operation.

"As the man of science, I will!" Kowalski offered himself before he looked for headphones in the garage. After finding them, he inserted the green cable inside the green port as he started listening to the sounds while also sorting them out. Other penguins observed him to see if anything interesting happened. As of that moment, everything seemed free of Herman's shenanigans, with only green circles occupying the screen.

The actual tracking phase of the Operation Track & Whack has officially started.


End file.
